Has Matthews struggled in the playoffs?

[ffh]

in the words of a great philosopher Matthews isn't very good at ice hockey right now.

 

[McFlash97]

He is having to go up against arguably the greatest defensive forward of all time on basically every shift

calm down there. No is is not 'arguably" the greatest defensive forward of all time.

 

[MayonnaiseOreo]

Too bad there’s no Alzner on the ice for Matthews to get easy goals.

Off topic but is that horrifying avatar supposed to be Subban and Legwand morphed?

 

[danpantz]

calm down there. No is is not 'arguably" the greatest defensive forward of all time.

The award that they give out for best defensive forward every season. Ya he’s tied for most, and that’s after getting screwed out of one.

 

[Fatty McLardy]

2 time stanley cup champion Phil Kessel would've stayed around to talk to the media after the loss.

 

[Fire Benning]

10 games lol

 

[Knotty Moog]

Maybe it's the fact that the Bruins decided as a team (mostly Chara and Bergy, but its a team philosophy) to do everything in there power to shut down the Matthews line.

It seems Marner's line is getting most of the chances on the stretch pass and in general. Maybe that's because when Matthews is out there they play more defensively and when Marner and everyone else is out there they go more with an attack.

Kind of like in football when you take away the "star playmaker" and let the rest of the team beat you.

Just spittballin'.

 

[MattySnipes]

I think it's always a mistake to try to avoid the Toronto media when things aren't going well. The Leafs should maybe just give him some media training, since he perhaps didn't grow up listening to the endlessly boring ways that NHL players respond questions from a skeptical Canadian media.

"We all need to be better, and give it 110% next game."

"It's a seven game series and it's not over yet."

"The Bruins are a great team and it'll take a great effort to beat them."

"We need to play better and give it 110%."

Rinse, and repeat.

lol, every player is great at answering questions from the media. every player is trained on it when they come into the season. auston is great at handling the media, his answers are the typical ones you state above. it's a tough situation, gotta think the team kept him out after the headlines Simmons created when he got Matthews to quote "shit happens" lol. not too worried about the whoe media thing. what's more worrying is that line's play against chara and mcavoy. seems like they look defeated. chalk it up to experience gained i guess.

 

[TheBradyBunch]

What are you talking about? Alfredsson had 7 points in 7 games his first playoffs. The second year he was in the playoffs he had 7 goals and 9 points in 11 games. The third year he had 3 points in 4 games and the following year 4 points in six games.

What kind of morons thought he was a playoff choker? That's just nonsense.

It's 100% not nonsense. Alfie had some terrible playoffs - namely 1 point in 4 games in 2001; 8 in 18 in 2003; 3 in 7 in 2004.

It wasn't until after the lockout that Alfie established his reputation as a playoff performer. Ask any Sens fan who was following the team closely pre-lockout, the reputation of Alfredsson was that of a choker. Actually, it was only really dispelled when the Sens went to the Cup on the strength of Alfies performance. Not everyone agreed with it (I didn't, I don't really agree with the concept of "chokers") but it was 100% the perception. And yes, Alfie absolutely struggled in the playoffs, often "no-showing" for entire series. He was almost dealt for Craig Conroy in late 2006 for exactly these reasons.

Alfie had some huge playoff struggles and was widely considered as a guy who couldn't get it done in the playoffs. No statistic or incredulity on your part will change the objective fact of that matter.

 

[kevind122684]

Matthews is going up against the one of the best defensive player and against a very good team. The whole Leafs team has not been themselves, they go home and regroup.

This also points out another factor, to be successful in today's NHL, you really need two lines that can really hurt the opposition. The Leafs have this, if the whole team comes to together and plays like they can, they will get back into this series, if the Leafs play to their potential, they will stretch Bergeron and this will create room for Matthews.

the problem is the leafs are waisting another year with all these young guys on ELCs' and these guys make up a majority of their solid top 6, its going to be hard to keep them all

 

[Blue Warriors]

Guys like Yzerman and Sakic didn’t have playoff success until later in their careers. Matthews should have a similar progression, it’s a learning experience.

 

[Coach]

Most of the vitriol thrown by opposing fans? It isn't Leafs fans turning on him, and if they are its an extreme minority.

I don't see other teams posting threads on how poorly their players our playing. Lots of leaf posters on the Matthews one.

 

[LeafFever]

Guys like Yzerman and Sakic didn’t have playoff success until later in their careers. Matthews should have a similar progression, it’s a learning experience.

Yzerman was destoyed by the media as a playoff zero until he won his first cup in which he was 11 years older than Matthews.

 

[LeafFever]

I don't see other teams posting threads on how poorly their players our playing. Lots of leaf posters on the Matthews one.

This was started by an Oilers fan...

 

[Coach]

Yet, you insulted last season's Capitals.

Level of competition only counts when Matthews doesn't put up points?

I feel for your players if that's what they go through consistently. It's fine to ask tough questions but prying about how player handles online bashing is ****ing moronic. It's akin to asking "three of my neighbors told me this morning that you suck and have huge nostrils, how do you feel about that"?

Offer people an NHL salary and I bet no one declines. The pro's outweigh the cons on the job.

 

[Plural]

Offer people an NHL salary and I bet no one declines. The pro's outweigh the cons on the job.

What the hell?

 

[DanM]

This thread ends with this

"Matthews is 100 percent hurt, now go away with this stupidity"

He was already hurting going in, and there is no way he is healthy, all one had to do was watch him in last years playoffs when healthy.

Christ, this board will have him listed as a 4th liner by the end of the summer, that's why I don't take anything serious on here, it's a joke.

I actually wonder if anybody on here has ever played through a shoulder separation, against NHL players, I would say no...

 

[Zero Requiem]

This thread ends with this

"Matthews is 100 percent hurt, now go away with this stupidity"

He was already hurting going in, and there is no way he is healthy, all one had to do was watch him in last years playoffs when healthy.

Christ, this board will have him listed as a 4th liner by the end of the summer, that's why I don't take anything serious on here, it's a joke.

Didn't Terrell Owens dominate a Super Bowl on a broken leg? Being hurt is an incredibly weak excuse, and it would not be accepted by Leafs fans if the player in question was McDavid.

 

[habdynasty]

Guys like Yzerman and Sakic didn’t have playoff success until later in their careers. Matthews should have a similar progression, it’s a learning experience.

That’s right. Mario Lemieux didn’t make the playoffs until his 5th season in the league. Matthews will be ok .

 

[Zero Requiem]

What the hell?

Do you think that Mark Zuckerberg is offended by the trolls that bash him on various forums? Matthews just needs to grow a spine.

 

[The Podium]

Matthews dominates possession by using his body to keep away and outmuscle the opposition and his reach. Not many players in the league can outmuscle or out reach him. Unfortunate for the Leafs, and for Matthews, Boston has one of the few players who can and Chara has done an incredible job at containing him.

At the same time, Matthews isnt skating as hard as usual, not back checking and overall looks unengaged. You dont just lose that, so he may be cautious and not feeling 100%.

 

[TGWL]

the problem is the leafs are waisting another year with all these young guys on ELCs' and these guys make up a majority of their solid top 6, its going to be hard to keep them all

What do you consider wasting a year? Typically, when you have a lot of ELC deals, you just went through a rebuild and are establishing yourself as a contender, or trying to be contenders again. Even if they get eliminated in the first round, how are they wasting another year with these young players? There's 31 teams, just because you have a bunch of young ELC deals doesn't mean you should be the top contenders for cups every season. After rebuilding, your window of opportunity isn't closed in 3 years of ELC contracts.

 

[Plural]

Do you think that Mark Zuckerberg is offended by the trolls that bash him on various forums? Matthews just needs to grow a spine.

I'm still lost. What does anything of this got to do what I have said in this thread? This place is weird af.

 

[Plural]

Matthews dominates possession by using his body to keep away and outmuscle the opposition and his reach. Not many players in the league can outmuscle or out reach him. Unfortunate for the Leafs, and for Matthews, Boston has one of the few players who can and Chara has done an incredible job at containing him.

At the same time, Matthews isnt skating as hard as usual, not back checking and overall looks unengaged. You dont just lose that, so he may be cautious and not feeling 100%.

Did you steal this post from HFLeafs?

 

[The Podium]

Did you steal this post from HFLeafs?

I made the post in HFLeafs