Auston Matthews Discussion Thread

[Faltorvo]

I think he's back...

Nope , not yet

That quick explosive snapper is gone,,i have not seen one in weeks.

 

[MapleLeafs77]

Yeah, it's crazy how much of the PP also goes through him. It's no coincidence that the PP starts to suck right at the time Matthews is being picky about shooting.

Even then, he's got so many posts in the last 5-6 games. Think he's really close to feeling 100% there but not quite yet.

I agree that our PP sucks because matthews was hurt and wasn’t shooting. But our PP sucks again because people realize: let marner or rielly shoot all day long. Cover Matthews and we arent dangerous. For some reason, we also dont get the puck to him for shots either.

Id load up the top PP.

Rielly
Nylander - Matthews
Tavares
Marner is on goal line feeding pucks out or across crease

 

[MattySnipes]

Another goal tonight. Wrist healing nice.

Goal scorer stare

 

[Gabriel426]

His D game is really good now.

 

[MattySnipes]

What a shot tonight. Really good tonight all over.

 

[Stephen]

Wish he had scored that empty netter to make it a hat trick.

 

[ponder]

That first goal was a f***ing laser. 5 goal lead now on McDavid for the Rocket

 

[Jojalu]

Crazy that he also leads the league in posts hit.

Tied for post/crossbar combined.

A little better luck and he could have 30 already

 

[zeke]

Career Center Goals Per Game, since 1930

1. M.Lemieux .75
2. W.Gretzky .60
3. A.Matthews .58
4. P.Esposito .56
5. M.Dionne .54

 

[MattySnipes]

4 years ago folks!

 

[hamzarocks]

4 years ago folks!

The next guys who could have a shot at this are Bedard, Wright Mitchkov

Mitchkov probably wont be a rookie till age 21-22 season as I think he is locked up in the KHL past his draft year. Though he is a huge sniper there and is considered the best russian prospect since Ovy/Geno.

Wright I think will find it tough. I see him a similar prospect as stamkos/tavares and neither got 40 as rookies (tavares was not really a 40 goal guy often)

Bedard is the best shot to do it and he is the most likley to do it as 18 year old/D+1 player. His shot is so filthy as a 15 year old and right now he is in the Mcdavid/Crosby level tier as a prospect (though very early). If he continues to improve I think he can be the guy to dethrone Matthews as best goal scorer from 2026 and onwards (expecting Matthews to win 4-5 rockets by then)

Matthews scoring 40 as a rookie was very special and hard to do especially for a D+1 player.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Last night he looked like best player in da world ... he did it all ... won faceoffs, scored, played great defense, hit people, skated puck up ice by himself to get us out of trouble and added an assist at same time ... plus he played a great game down low behind net ... OMG i wish he did that ever single night

 

[Morbo]

I could have understood if the NHL did not play this year. But it's great that they did, as we would have lost a year of Mitch and Matthews prime otherwise.

 

[MattySnipes]

ESPN released their Top5 centres

 

[zeke]

ESPN released their Top5 centres

Dom's top-15 right now based on his continually updated multi-year GSVA model a theathletic.com:

1. McDavid 5.16
2. Matthews 4.84
3. MacKinnon 4.64
4. Draisaitl 4.24
5. Barkov 3.93
6. Crosby 3.87
7. Point 3.42
8. Aho 3.19
9. Zibanejad 2.97
10. Pettersson 2.87
11. Tavares 2.86
12. Couturier 2.78
13. Eichel 2.70
14. Barzal 2.57
15. O'Reilly 2.46
16. Malkin 2.33


matches my eye test pretty dang well, tbh, and better than most any media ranking i see.

 

[MattySnipes]

Dom's top-5 right now based on his continually updated multi-year GSVA model a theathletic.com:

1. McDavid 5.16
2. Matthews 4.84
3. MacKinnon 4.64
4. Draisaitl 4.24
5. Barkov 3.93
6. Crosby 3.87
7. Point 3.42
8. Aho 3.19
9. Zibanejad 2.97
10. Pettersson 2.87
11. Tavares 2.86
12. Couturier 2.78
13. Eichel 2.70
14. Barzal 2.57
15. O'Reilly 2.46
16. Malkin 2.33


matches my eye test pretty dang well, tbh, and better than most any media ranking i see.

For sure that's a great list.

I'd actually just swap Barkov and Drai. Barkov having an amazing year and he doesn't have a McDavid.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Just need to appreciate having one of the very best players in the world on the Leafs.

Truly fun to watch.

 

[zeke]

For sure that's a great list.

I'd actually just swap Barkov and Drai. Barkov having an amazing year and he doesn't have a McDavid.

yeah especially since Drai plays more wing than any other guy on that list. the only guy there that plays any real time at all on the wing, really.

 

[Apotheosis]

3 years ago I compared Matthews to Malkin and Marner to Kane both in terms of similarish playstyles and overall production. I don't think I was off the mark. Also, hello HFBoards, it has been a while.

 

[Sypher04]

Last night he looked like best player in da world ... he did it all ... won faceoffs, scored, played great defense, hit people, skated puck up ice by himself to get us out of trouble and added an assist at same time ... plus he played a great game down low behind net ... OMG i wish he did that ever single night

Honestly, you just described his every day game

 

[CanadasTeam]

Nope , not yet

That quick explosive snapper is gone,,i have not seen one in weeks.

It has also been a while since his signature toe-drag-snipe made an appearance.

It's all in the wrist.

 

[Faltorvo]

It has also been a while since his signature toe-drag-snipe made an appearance.

It's all in the wrist.

well that is THE SNAPPER i am talking about

and it's still not back

 

[zeke]

Pure beast.

 

[IPS]

Still losing polls to Barkov on the main board

The eternal saltiness of the main board toward the Leafs is honestly remarkable.

 

[HaveKnifeWillButcher]

It has also been a while since his signature toe-drag-snipe made an appearance.

It's all in the wrist.

Man, talk about a puck exploding off a stick. No goalie in the world has a chance on that shot.