The first thing I've noticed about Matthews is that he's been using his size and strength like I've seldom seem him do before. For example, in Game 1 he had Seth Jones on his back in the right-wing corner, and he fought Jones back to retain control of the puck. He was overwhelming. In Game 2 I saw him finish a check behind the Columbus goal that he could have turned away from, causing the kind of crash I don't usually hear from the Leafs. Last night I didn't care who would win or lose the game -- just watching the Leafs play a complete, competitive, physical game would have been enough for me because regardless of the isolated outcome they will win eventually if they continue to play that way.
I think Matthews has set the tone in both games, and in Game 2 the entire Leafs' team followed suit.
When the Leafs play Boston I sometimes close my eyes and listen to which end of the ice the play is in. When I hear crashing into the boards, the play is in the Leafs' end. Usually it's a Boston forward pasting a Leafs' defenceman into the boards as he releases the puck. It's a present the Bruins never fail to deliver at every single opportunity, and the Leafs almost never reciprocate.
In Game 1 I watched one of my favourite players (truly, I have a soft spot for him) Freddy Gauthier come crashing down the ice and gently pull up and sidle beside a Columbus defenceman as he released the puck behind the Columbus net. He might as well have asked how the other guy's wife and kids are while he was there. He should have pasted him into the boards as he released the puck, but it's just not in Freddy's nature to do that and for that reason he will not be missed and he is not going to make it as an NHL player. He simply needs to have the mean streak his just does not possess.
Last night I saw the Leafs' players really extend themselves physically, dominating individual Blue Jackets on one-on-one puck battles and coming back with second- and third-efforts to retain or regain control of the puck. That is the missing link -- the thing they need to do all night long, shift-in shift-out, every night to win games but just hasn't been in their repertoire. Last night they look pissed-off and angry enough to finally do that on a consistent basis, and I think that is the reason they won.
It doesn't matter how talented you are if you don't out-dog the other team for the puck.
And they all did it, all night long.
If the Leafs could only learn to do that all the time, relentlessly, their obvious talent would begin to shine through and they would have the opportunity to go far in these playoffs.
I won't hold my breath, though, as this is still a young team and the learning process is never drawn in straight lines.
I do think Matthews might be there now, though, and if so eventually I think the rest of the team will follow along. Even the
Captain, as Matthews is the true leader of the Leafs, and what he does everyone else will take notice and copy.