Auston Matthews Thread

[rumman]

I don't like it either, but when the Leafs play well and lose a lot of fans just say "ya, but they lost".

Perspectives always seem to change depending on the result.

I'd rather they just played well consistently - do that, and the results likely follow

I always liked the Al Davis quote: "just win baby," so I get your point. I worry that the players think like the poster I quoted, and that's what I find discouraging.

 

[ToneDog]

I don't like it either, but when the Leafs play well and lose a lot of fans just say "ya, but they lost".

Perspectives always seem to change depending on the result.

I'd rather they just played well consistently - do that, and the results likely follow

Myself as well. Rather they consistently play like they did against the Blues and Caps and lose a few than win like they did against the Flyers. There are not many wins like that in the playoffs.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

Totally agree their big line was responsible but, Guys on their team in Chara, Debrusk, and some others intimidate our guys from matching their top line. In other words our guys played safe with their heads on a swivel instead of being that quick skating beautiful passing play picture goal team that we saw 1st 2 seasons. I also agree with you fully about Am and franchise players elevating their games.

Yeah totally see what you're saying. Boston plays to their strengths, which is an amazing strength tbh. They rely on their top-line to produce the points, while the rest of the lineup plays a strong, heavy game. IMO they lost to St.Louis because they exploited that, while a team like ours couldn't neutralize that line.

 

[ORRFForever]

Totally agree I would take a solid Wendel Clark over AM any day all day over AM, Wendel sniped, he hit, he fought, he bled blue and motivated his team he played for the Maple Leaf on the front, same as Gilmour, Sundin didn't fight but he came to play every night, these are the type players we want to name a few

If I was his line mates, I'd be pissed.

 

[mrJT]

Yeah the big problem for me is when do you see any emotion and anger out of these guys (Matthews, Nylander, Marner) when something goes against them.
That's where I wanna see them smash their stick take a run at someone, get pissed off and go harder next shift.
Its nice to see the emotion when they score a big goal, but where are those emotions when shit hits the fan.
Then and only then will you be able to win a playoff round and hopefully more.

 

[ORRFForever]

I think that's fair, if he hasn't improved by the 4th year of his deal he's not the player we thought he was. By improve, I don't mean become a one-dimensional scorer who floats for half season, is injured for one quarter, and for the other quarter we see what his true potential could have been if he only had heart and passion. Give him 4 years.

Amen to that.

Some team will give up a fool's ransom for him - and I emphasize the "fool" part.

 

[ORRFForever]

Matthews says to his line mates while they're soaking in the hot tub after the game because of all the bruises they got from battling in front of the net so A.M. can flyby and score when a puck wiggles out :

"You guys need to pace yourself. I played more minutes than you did, I got a goal, and I don't have a mark on me. I guess that's why they pay me $11.6M/yr."

After Matthews leaves the room, they mumble under their breath : "prick".

 

[Martin Skoula]

Matthews says to his line mates while they're soaking in the hot tub after the game because of all the bruises they got from battling in front of the net so A.M. can flyby and score when a puck wiggles out :

"You guys need to pace yourself. I played more minutes than you did, I got a goal, and I don't have a mark on me. I guess that's why they pay me $11.6M/yr."

After Matthews leaves the room, they mumble under their breath : "prick".

So he's saying this to Nylander and Johnsson?

At least keep your delusions consistent, is imaginary Nylander tougher in your fantasies?

 

[ORRFForever]

So he's saying this to Nylander and Johnsson?

At least keep your delusions consistent, is imaginary Nylander tougher in your fantasies?

 

[Kamiccolo]

Feel free to tag any fan who still defends Matthews.

The hype didn't come from no where. I came across this clip and I want you all to watch it.



Done? Ok tell me when the last time you saw Matthews battle for a puck like that? When was the last time he protected the puck with his body like he does here several times. When was the last time he went INTO traffic for the puck?

This guy still can be one of the best players in the league, but something is wrong. He should be a much better player than he has been this year. We can find clips like this all day long of him just being impossible to stop. Now he won't put in any effort.

 

[Teeder Keon]

Feel free to tag any fan who still defends Matthews.

The hype didn't come from no where. I came across this clip and I want you all to watch it.



Done? Ok tell me when the last time you saw Matthews battle for a puck like that? When was the last time he protected the puck with his body like he does here several times. When was the last time he went INTO traffic for the puck?

This guy still can be one of the best players in the league, but something is wrong. He should be a much better player than he has been this year. We can find clips like this all day long of him just being impossible to stop. Now he won't put in any effort.

Cannot agree with you more

 

[Kamiccolo]

Cannot agree with you more

Yup. I think what some Matthews fans need to understand is most here do not hate him. They just know he is capable of more than a filthy snipe every game or two. He can do all that while being a physical monster on the ice. If he can be that player for us, there isn't a team that can stop him.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

Feel free to tag any fan who still defends Matthews.

The hype didn't come from no where. I came across this clip and I want you all to watch it.



Done? Ok tell me when the last time you saw Matthews battle for a puck like that? When was the last time he protected the puck with his body like he does here several times. When was the last time he went INTO traffic for the puck?

This guy still can be one of the best players in the league, but something is wrong. He should be a much better player than he has been this year. We can find clips like this all day long of him just being impossible to stop. Now he won't put in any effort.

Matthews has looked like a different player ever since the Trouba hit.

 

[rumman]

Matthews has looked like a different player ever since the Trouba hit.

didn't shoulder problems end his fathers baseball career aspirations? Probably knows he's on the clock?

 

[HamiltonNHL]

imagine what he could achieve if he actually put the work in?

Each time he went all out he got injured.
Skating around with his head down, Trouba popped him.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Well Pasternak 6.6 prolific scorer, hits, goes into the dirty areas, helps team with all the fundamentals of hockey, competes game in game out, Imho he brings a better team game than any one of our 3. Am 11.6, Marner 10.8 I think, WN around 7. Our 3 players are not better than what Pasternak brings with AM being almost double the contract value, Marner being over 3, and Nylander can't even hold a candle to Pasty, tallies in at 8 million over payment not a stretch at all.

Boston is about winning.

Toronto is about taking what you can get.

 

[Stephen]

I think he still has those "moments" game to game where he battles but feels like his preference is to ghost like a Steven Stamkos into scoring chances. Only problem is doesn't have the right playmaking and puck recovery support to make that happen. Also, as hard as he was battling for that loose puck, I feel like he could have authoritatively put someone on their ass with a power move there instead of chopping and hacking like that.

I also personally think that's the wrong direction for his game to evolve into, cause as much as I love Stamkos, he still needs to evolve his game into a Bergeron direction.

 

[ORRFForever]

Matthews has looked like a different player ever since the Trouba hit.

Well, he has 11.6M reasons to get over it.

 

[A1LeafNation]

So when's Austons benching coming?

 

[Stephen]

So when's Austons benching coming?

The guy is one game removed from a 3 point effort vs Washington...

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

The guy is one game removed from a 3 point effort vs Washington...

Nylander was also outstanding against Washington, even if he didn't rack up the points

 

[Stephen]

Nylander was also outstanding against Washington, even if he didn't rack up the points

Yes, I agree.

 

[leafsfan5]

Feel free to tag any fan who still defends Matthews.

The hype didn't come from no where. I came across this clip and I want you all to watch it.



Done? Ok tell me when the last time you saw Matthews battle for a puck like that? When was the last time he protected the puck with his body like he does here several times. When was the last time he went INTO traffic for the puck?

This guy still can be one of the best players in the league, but something is wrong. He should be a much better player than he has been this year. We can find clips like this all day long of him just being impossible to stop. Now he won't put in any effort.

I think it's a testament to how good of a player he is that he still has 11 goals and is over ppg even though he isn't playing to this level. But like you said he has a higher ceiling than that and should be among the best in the league. If he plays with the same intensity as in the clip he's unstoppable and a force all around the offensive zone. We need him to be at this level to make a serious run

 

[IPS]

So when's Austons benching coming?

Nowadays it honestly looks like Matthews is daring Babcock to bench him.

 

[Sypher04]

We will have to agree to disagree. And if you think this team is not soft, then you don't know hockey. Which is it, the team is soft or you don't know hockey?

I never said the team isn't soft. I said we didn't lose because of that soft playstyle. We lost because we had a historically bad penalty kill. It's not debatable.