That may well be the case and you have to start somewhere. Trying to work with 2 players (Matthews/Nylander) is much easier than trying to do it with 5.
This is the winner of this thread.
I might add to this since I've been a believer in Matthews since I listened to him as he grew as a player and watched his play on the ice; some players have it in them to be that different player. Most importantly is their cap hit.
Now it has been in spurts and it isn't his primary role of course, but we saw Matthews throw down Weber, a big man. We saw him get suspended when he retaliated after taking too much abuse, we saw him reluctantly (instinctively) drop the gloves against Stamkos.
We've seen him throw checks and play with some edge.
Nylander doesn't have that in him when he digs deep but he does have flashes of it and he rises to the occasion often.
The other three are just nice guys. Nothing wrong with that. This is a problem in the NHL playoffs when the game becomes all about how much you are willing to give. How much sacrifice and determination do you have?
Easier to do so with two players. If Marner, JT and Reilly were each $3-4M players, the heat wouldn't be nearly as intense as it is. At this point, they carry the burden because their cap space is preventing the team from getting those who WILL sacrifice and will their way to success in the playoffs.