Player Discussion Auston Matthews Discussion

[Tak7]

I would not play Auston unless he’s 100% tonight… it’s not worth it.

A 75% Matthews is significantly better than a 100% Noah Gregor.

If he can go, you play him.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

A 75% Matthews is significantly better than a 100% Noah Gregor.

If he can go, you play him.

Play him on the 3rd line and let him face the plugs...hope he can pot one on the PP

 

[rojac]

Play him on the 3rd line and let him face the plugs...hope he can pot one on the PP

Play him in his usual #1 centre role. If it looks like he can't handle it, then move him down. And I'd say you play him if he is at least 60%.

 

[BobbyJet]

This unfortunately is almost completely true about our superest of superstars.

You've got a guy in your dressing room who demands the most money and whom previous management treated like Lord Fauntelroy and that same guy sags into non-compete mode in the playoffs.

It's a real question; do any of you guys really wonder why the team doesn't win, why they don't want to put up with the bruises and pain when Auston won't?

I saw a little more compete in him this year, a little more determination to get it done if only in the end to add to his own edification, I was hoping it was going to translate into the post season, but we may never know. Another question and obviously we don't know what is going on with him, but would say MacKinnon be playing with whatever is bothering Auston?

I'm sorry to be so blunt but the above is pure horse shit.

 

[Boxscore]

Play him in his usual #1 centre role. If it looks like he can't handle it, then move him down. And I'd say you play him if he is at least 60%.

Agreed.

 

[therealkoho]

I'm sorry to be so blunt but the above is pure horse shit.

Pro hockey isn't anything like beer league, but keep up the good work.

 

[Sypher04]

Koho and boxscore, your Matthews takes are straight up garbage

 

[BobbyJet]

Pro hockey isn't anything like beer league, but keep up the good work.

LOL. I will.

My advise, watch more hockey and quit playing psychologist.

 

[mjd1001]

Was he injured or sick? Yeah, it was something, we'll hopefully find out what it was.

But its not just about this season, a trend has been there, he just doesn't step up and win series for this team in the playoffs. If you are going to be the very highest paid player in the league, an MVP, a scoring champion, you simply have to do it.

Playoff points per game vs regular season points per game:

McDavid: +6% more in the playoffs
Draisaitl: +36% more in the playoffs
McKinnon: +16.6% more in the playoffs
Matthews: -24% LESS points per game in the playoffs

Sample size over 50 games now for everyone...over 80 for McKinnon

 

[hamzarocks]

Not a top 2 player for a playoff team

Dont compare him to the best of the best come playoffs

hes the best in toronto, a city of pure medicore hockey

 

[saffronleaf]

he dominated only one game this series. not good enough. yea yea, sick, injured, blah blah, we're tired of the excuses.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

He is the first player you should be trading, his face after he didn't get goal #70 tells it all
- compared to game 7 loss, you can tell he cared more to get 70.

Yeah, Marner, Tavares, etc, they make mistakes, sure, but at least they try, yeah they fail, but try
Matthews doesn't even try, when he is not feeling it that is.

Most Leafs fans are crying about usual suspects but Matthews.. you always find ways not to criticize...
he is injured, he is sick, he is not 100%, he must be this and that, if he was 100%... bull, no one is 100%
after like 70% of the regular season is done, not to mention when the playoffs start, excuses.

Matthews just isn't good enough, period, he isn't a leader either, he doesn't care about the Leafs, not enough,
easy to see. - you gotta trade him, you are, play better without him

 

[Stephen]

Will be interesting to see what the injury report was.

 

[pdson]

He is the first player you should be trading, his face after he didn't get goal #70 tells it all
- compared to game 7 loss, you can tell he cared more to get 70.

Yeah, Marner, Tavares, etc, they make mistakes, sure, but at least they try, yeah they fail, but try
Matthews doesn't even try, when he is not feeling it that is.

Most Leafs fans are crying about usual suspects but Matthews.. you always find ways not to criticize...
he is injured, he is sick, he is not 100%, he must be this and that, if he was 100%... bull, no one is 100%
after like 70% of the regular season is done, not to mention when the playoffs start, excuses.

Matthews just isn't good enough, period, he isn't a leader either, he doesn't care about the Leafs, not enough,
easy to see. - you gotta trade him, you are, play better without him

Complete f**kin nonsense

 

[mjd1001]

He is the first player you should be trading, his face after he didn't get goal #70 tells it all
- compared to game 7 loss, you can tell he cared more to get 70.

Yeah, Marner, Tavares, etc, they make mistakes, sure, but at least they try, yeah they fail, but try
Matthews doesn't even try, when he is not feeling it that is.

Most Leafs fans are crying about usual suspects but Matthews.. you always find ways not to criticize...
he is injured, he is sick, he is not 100%, he must be this and that, if he was 100%... bull, no one is 100%
after like 70% of the regular season is done, not to mention when the playoffs start, excuses.

Matthews just isn't good enough, period, he isn't a leader either, he doesn't care about the Leafs, not enough,
easy to see. - you gotta trade him, you are, play better without him

He's a great player.

But I still think if you are a league MVP, a multiple time goal scoring champ. The soon-to-be highest paid player in the league....if you are all those things, you need to at least once, hopefully MORE than once, be good enough to carry your team yourself deep into the playoffs.

There have been plenty of times over the years where the Leafs could have used one additional goal in playoff game to turn the game around, turn a series around, and, year after year, he just doesn't play like a top 5 player in the league in the playoffs. Matthews is well into the prime of is career. It hasn't happened yet, it has to start happening every year going forward.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Crushed it

 

[alliuk12]

should not be a leaf next year

 

[CokenoPepsi]

23 goals in 55 playoff games... Well below his regular season average

 

[yzerman]

In real types of hockey games with proper defending and structure not the pre season like games in the regular season Matthews just disappears.Just wanted for once Toronto could win a game 7.

 

[Divine]

In real types of hockey games with proper defending and structure not the pre season like games in the regular season Matthews just disappears.

Matthews played 4 2/3rd games this series, while injured or ill for 3 of them, and still led the Leafs in playoffs scoring this year.

He has 4 points in 5 games. Set up the only goal in Game 7 by Nylander. Took over Game 2 to steal the win.

If you want to blame someone - where was Marner?

 

[yzerman]

Matthews played 4 2/3rd games this series, while injured or ill for 3 of them, and still led the Leafs in playoffs scoring this year.

Yes but it is not enough in a game 7 he must be much better end of excuses and early playoffs exits for Toronto and i want them to win this game same strory every year.

 

[Divine]

Yes but it is not enough in a game 7 he must be much better end of excuses and early playoffs exits for Toronto and i want them to win this game same strory every year.

The difference between Matthews and Pastrnak last game was Pastrnak's goalie didn't allow a soft goal. Matthews gave Nylander a wide open net for the GWG (at the time). Samsonov allowed a weak goal off his glove into the net on the next shot by a defenceman who scored 3 goals all year.

Matthews plays a 200 foot game. If you want to put him on the wing and let him cheat like Ovechkin I'm sure his playoff scoring will be higher.

 

[GreytWun]

Regular season player but disappears in the big moments. This is why he can’t be compared to the McKinnons, McDavid, Draisaitl etc. they actually show up in both regular season and playoffs.

 

[Divine]

Regular season player but disappears in the big moments. This is why he can’t be compared to the McKinnons, McDavid, Draisaitl etc. they actually show up in both regular season and playoffs.

If Auston Matthews got to play the LA Kings every year, I'm sure his playoff stats would be much better.

Mackinnon is on another level though, but not as good as Makar. If you replace Rielly with Makar, I wonder how much better our Core 4 would look. The guy leads his team in playoff scoring (over MacK) as a defensemen.

 

[thewave]

Cant blame AM for anything in this. He was working hard out there. He was covered closely and unwell on top of that. Him and WN are not the reasons we lost.

There are a few other big pay ponies out there that did nothing.

JT MM MR