Is the myth that Auston Matthews does not show up in the playoffs finally over?

[Kamiccolo]

27% of his points came on the PP, how is that "barely any of his points"?

Compare that to other star players. It's not a lot. It means overwhelmingly most of his points were 5v5

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

He actually doesn’t keep up well at even strength. He keeps up well on the PP, but that is when he plays with other highly regarded players.

You should really not bring MacKinnon’s name into this thread if you want to make Matthews look good.

Good and fair description of Mathews play. I can tell you’ve watched him a lot, it’s nice to see an honest post and assessment of players in a sea of homerism.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Compare that to other star players. It's not a lot. It means overwhelmingly most of his points were 5v5

McDavid had 28% of his points on the PP
Kane had 27% of his points on PP
Draistl had 27% of his points on the PP
Crosby had 29% of his points on the PP

4 out of the top 6 players on the league had roughly the exact same percentage of points on the PP as Matthews.

 

[Varan]

He is not going up against the bruins top line. The tarvares line is going against it. Matthews line isn’t even going against Boston’s top dmen again that’s the tarvares line.

Matthews line is against the bruins second line and 3/4 dmen.
He should be dominating if he is the generational talent that most leaf fans make him out to be,

Just because he scores a goal doesn’t mean he played a good game. Many times in the first four games he has played too soft and without determination. I expect a generational talent to feast on second lines and pairings.

For me he has only been meh so far. I expect exceptional with his skill set

This. Literally this.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

This sounds like you have only watched 1 Leaf game. Matthews is statistically the best 5v5 goal scorer since he came into the league and one of the best 5x5 players. Barely any of his points this year came on the PP

This is a thread about the PLAYOFFS. Where he has 3 ES points in his last 11 games.

If you really think that Matthews is comparable to MacKinnon then you clearly have not watched any of MacKinnon. MacKinnon is dominating Calgary on every single shift.

 

[Kamiccolo]

This is a thread about the PLAYOFFS. Where he has 3 ES points in his last 11 games.

If you really think that Matthews is comparable to MacKinnon then you clearly have not watched any of MacKinnon. MacKinnon is dominating Calgary on every single shift.

I never even said that. You guys just love to shit on him. I am not even that big of a Matthews fan. I think he is incredibly over rated which is a shame, because until this season he was a monster. However whatever happened, I don't know, he became soft. He is scared of being hit where before no one could win the puck from him along the boards.

Then add his contract, yikes. All I am saying is, considering his linemates, he has been pretty good.

 

[golgoXIII]

Skating and hands speed are what HFboarder love that's why everyone prefer Mackinnon and Marner. Call me crazy if i had to chose between Matthews-MacKinnnon or Marner to start a franchise i'll take Matthews ...Since the kid play with leafs they make playoffs every season

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

Funny title. “Is the myth that Matthews doesn’t show up in the playoffs over”

I guess in a way, it’s no longer myth and now it’s fact?

Dude just isn’t a game breaker in the increased intensity of the playoffs. Tuesday night reg season superstar though.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Sadly, it won't be unless the Leafs win the series against Boston. It isn't fair, misconceptions are often based on nothing but conjecture (ie, Thornton, who has been on the losing end but performed well while doing so, but gets shackled with the "choke artist" label). He could score 15 points this series and some would still call him a bad playoff player if they don't advance again.

 

[Neuf]

People never let up until a player wins the Conn Smythe and Cup

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

I never even said that. You guys just love to **** on him. I am not even that big of a Matthews fan. I think he is incredibly over rated which is a shame, because until this season he was a monster. However whatever happened, I don't know, he became soft. He is scared of being hit where before no one could win the puck from him along the boards.

Then add his contract, yikes. All I am saying is, considering his linemates, he has been pretty good.

And all I am saying is that you have to take his production into context. You can play the victim all you want but I am not even shitting on him as hard as you are.

You can’t say he has produced well with bad linemates. He’s produced well on the power play with good linemates and poorly at even strength with bad linemates. That’s it.

 

[Midnight Judges]

In the 2017 playoffs Auston Matthews had 4 goals and 1 assist in the Leafs six game series against the Capitals.

However non Leafs fans on here instead focused on his 1 goal and 1 assist in the seven games against the Bruins from last years playoffs.

This year after four playoff games Matthews currently has 3 goals and 1 assist for 4 points.

So my question is will Matthews being called a no show in the playoffs be over with from non Leafs fans, even though we have the sample size from 2017 to show he never should have been referred to as that.

When, and if, anyone made that claim, the sample size was too small to draw any meaningful conclusions.

Even today, the same size is still too small to draw any meaningful conclusions.

 

[nothingbeatshockey]

I'm not worried about what others on a message board will think about me.

Of course you do. You start a thread posing a question and then can't wait to respond to the first person to challenge your preconceived answer to your own question. It's OK to start a thread, ask a question and have an opinion, but if you are truly asking then accept that others are have different answers and don't be so defensive.

 

[Namikaze Minato]

Matthews is literally not playing against top defensive units.

probably partly explains why he's able to score at a 40 goal pace over his career in the playoffs, eh?

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

probably partly explains why he's able to score at a 40 goal pace over his career in the playoffs, eh?

Well he literally doesn’t even do that.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Skating and hands speed are what HFboarder love that's why everyone prefer Mackinnon and Marner. Call me crazy if i had to chose between Matthews-MacKinnnon or Marner to start a franchise i'll take Matthews ...Since the kid play with leafs they make playoffs every season

They've made the playoffs every year with Marner and he's not injured 20 games every year like Matthews.

 

[Namikaze Minato]

Well he literally doesn’t even do that.

8 goals in 17 games is 38.5 in an 82 game season but I'm sure that's not close enough for you.

 

[McFlyingV]

He is not going up against the bruins top line. The tarvares line is going against it. Matthews line isn’t even going against Boston’s top dmen again that’s the tarvares line.

Matthews line is against the bruins second line and 3/4 dmen.
He should be dominating if he is the generational talent that most leaf fans make him out to be,

Just because he scores a goal doesn’t mean he played a good game. Many times in the first four games he has played too soft and without determination. I expect a generational talent to feast on second lines and pairings.

For me he has only been meh so far. I expect exceptional with his skill set

You're looking in the wrong place then.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

8 goals in 17 games is 38.5 in an 82 game season but I'm sure that's not close enough for you.

Surely, you can understand why saying he’s scoring at a 40 goal pace with 17 games is a terrible sample size.

 

[BB88]

Doesn't take awhole lot these days.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

8 goals in 17 games is 38.5 in an 82 game season but I'm sure that's not close enough for you.

No, it’s...not? It doesn’t even round up to 40.

If you round up to 39, that’s fine, you can still make your point. 39 goals per 82 games. That’s definitely great for your average player but is it satisfactory for a player who averages 43 goals per 82 regular season games and is going to be the 2nd highest paid based on his goal scoring ability?

Yes, probably still satisfactory if we’re looking at just goals. But there are other areas of his game which don’t look great in the playoffs. He also averages 39 even strength points per 82 games which is definitely not satisfactory for a guy who averages 58 even strength points per 82 games in the regular season. And he’s got 3 even strength points in his last 11 games. And he’s a -3 in 17 playoff games.

As I’ve said, the sample size is small enough to where you can cherry pick the numbers to kinda say whatever you want. It’s too early to say he’s definitely a playoff choker or definitely a playoff performer. In my opinion, the biggest issue is with his playoff performances is his 3-zone play and his overall engagement. He is especially underwhelming when you consider his contract and the hype he gets around the league. For a guy with his contract and hype, I would expect him to score at a 60 goal pace if his playmaking, 3-zone play, and play driving ability are going to be as underwhelming as they have been.

 

[POVERTY]

Why would you make this thread lol, at least wait until he gets through to the 2nd round. He still hasn't dominated they way he'll be getting paid to do so. As a big Matthews fan, he hasn't yet instilled the confidence in me that he's a great playoff performer.

Or maybe I'm just watching too much playoff MacKinnon that it's unfair.

 

[2CHAINZ]

Auston Matthews looks like Tyler Kennedy had a baby with a slighlty more feminine Tyler Kennedy.

 

[McGarnagle]

He's not pulling a Joe Thornton and completely no-showing and going pointless. But is he producing at the rate that a #1 overall pick who was endlessly hyped as being the next McDavid should be?

Look at what McKinnon is doing in Colorado and compare it to Matthews.

 

[Martin Skoula]

No, it’s...not? It doesn’t even round up to 40.

If you round up to 39, that’s fine, you can still make your point. 39 goals per 82 games. That’s definitely great for your average player but is it satisfactory for a player who averages 43 goals per 82 regular season games and is going to be the 2nd highest paid based on his goal scoring ability?

Yes, probably still satisfactory if we’re looking at just goals. But there are other areas of his game which don’t look great in the playoffs. He also averages 39 even strength points per 82 games which is definitely not satisfactory for a guy who averages 58 even strength points per 82 games in the regular season. And he’s got 3 even strength points in his last 11 games. And he’s a -3 in 17 playoff games.

As I’ve said, the sample size is small enough to where you can cherry pick the numbers to kinda say whatever you want. It’s too early to say he’s definitely a playoff choker or definitely a playoff performer. In my opinion, the biggest issue is with his playoff performances is his 3-zone play and his overall engagement. He is especially underwhelming when you consider his contract and the hype he gets around the league. For a guy with his contract and hype, I would expect him to score at a 60 goal pace if his playmaking, 3-zone play, and play driving ability are going to be as underwhelming as they have been.

It's 4th among all active players in playoff G/GP. 4th is now just satisfactory for a 21 year old?

The highest G/GP pace among all active players is a 48 goal pace. The highest G/GP pace among ALL PLAYERS EVER is Mario Lemieux's 58 goal pace. You "expect" Matthews to score at a 60 goal pace or you're going to consider him underwhelming?

I don't have to tell you that's comically absurd do I?