TSN: Ray Ferraro: "Matthews is a legit MVP candidate"

[Confucius]

In the thread "best 1st overall since McDavid" I literally just had a poster say Matthews has no 200ft game. Man people are stupid.

got admit that is a pretty funny title, "Best 1st overall since McDavid", Mcdavid drafted 6 years ago ,Mathews 5... lol

 

[zeke]

As long as we're winning (because that's the obviously the most important thing), I really hope he does it. Whether that is MVP, or Rocket or Selke, whichever. I can already hear the tsunami of asterisks coming from all the other fanbases though because of a supposed "weak division"

mvp AND rocket AND selke (AND smythe)

 

[Drai Fi]

Oilers fan coming in peace

You guys are talking about Matthews potentially being in the Selke race and having a pretty good 200 foot game. I don’t catch a lot of Leafs games so I was hoping one of you guys could fill me in. What makes him such a good 2 way player? I know he can shoot it like nothing else but the idea of him being good on the other side of the puck has never been on my radar.

 

[Sypher04]

Oilers fan coming in peace

You guys are talking about Matthews potentially being in the Selke race and having a pretty good 200 foot game. I don’t catch a lot of Leafs games so I was hoping one of you guys could fill me in. What makes him such a good 2 way player? I know he can shoot it like nothing else but the idea of him being good on the other side of the puck has never been on my radar.

On a really basic level (off the top of my head):
- He is well positioned
- Backchecks hard
- Can strip the puck from a player with his stick as well as anyone
- Has become quite physical hitting wise
- Uses his body well to separate players from the puck (both on forecheck and to clear the zone)
- Wins a lot of board battles
- Great at the face off dot
- Manages the puck well
- Poise
- Disciplined

He has become a very complete player.

 

[kevsh]

^ He's makes excellent defensive plays, mostly on the backcheck. He's at an elite level in takeaways, and is using his body in the defensive zone more this season to separate opponents from the puck.

Just watch him a few games but more likely it'll have to be the commentators or intermission analysts pointing it out on a replay as it's easy to miss out on these things in real-time. But if I can be so bold to ask you to take my word for it, as someone who has seen most of his games over his career, he had potential right from his first game but he's approaching an elite level now, if not there already.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

Agreed. It's amazing how much I defend Matthews on the main boards. Everyone always says "Matthews is great at scoring goals but give me ________ player who plays a more complete game"

Glad to see the industry recognizes a great player.

I gave that up a long time ago ... the Leaf haters are unbearable. To them Pasta is a better goal scorer, to them Lindholm has the best wrister in the league (lol), to them Matthews is not a 50 goal scorer because he hasn't actually done it yet, NVM he's paced a 50 goal pace for every year he's played minus his rookie year. Matthews is a gem and we are very lucky to have him

Main boards are beyond pathetic, were talking about guys who move the goal posts(or more accurately never speak in good faith) and dump on Matthews every year for something new. Nonstop Leaf trolling even though it's allegedly against the rules, infractions are only given out if you call them out for their gross behavior, absolute joke of moderation.

Fact that so many are Oiler fans is just even grosser, they have the consensus best player in the league but still endlessly froth at the mouth over Matthews because he was compared to McDavid 4 years ago...and were fragile, smh.

If it's any consolation these are very miserable people that trying to upset random Leaf fans gets so much devotion from them.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

As long as we're winning (because that's the obviously the most important thing), I really hope he does it. Whether that is MVP, or Rocket or Selke, whichever. I can already hear the tsunami of asterisks coming from all the other fanbases though because of a supposed "weak division"

Cute that you'd think they'd wait for the Leafs to win, all we needed was a good start and the season is essentially null and void already for most of them. Sad little trolls.

 

[34]

Ferraro is right on. He is ridiculous.

 

[Gabriel426]

Pretty sure when the Leafs win the Cup and Matthews win the Conn Smythe, the main board will go the losing team best players should have won the Conn Symthe despite being swept by the Leafs, lol.

 

[Drai Fi]

On a really basic level (off the top of my head):
- He is well positioned
- Backchecks hard
- Can strip the puck from a player with his stick as well as anyone
- Has become quite physical hitting wise
- Uses his body well to separate players from the puck (both on forecheck and to clear the zone)
- Wins a lot of board battles
- Great at the face off dot
- Manages the puck well
- Poise
- Disciplined

He has become a very complete player.

Appreciate it, thank you very much.

 

[hockeynorth]

yes

 

[WillyC]

Matthews is on pace for one of the largest Hardware hauls we've seen in years... if he wins 2-3 + the Cup, he goes to #1.

 

[7even]

toRoNTo biAS

 

[al secord]

"Does a hobby horse have a wooden dick?"

 

[The Iceman]

People are going to lose their minds when they see his Selke voting record at the end of the year. When you have colour commentators like Ferraro and Simpson who rave about Matthews' 200 ft. play during every Leaf game they call it sticks in the mind of the viewer.

And very different then the 200 foot game Burke insisted that Kessel was playing back in the day LOL

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Agreed. It's amazing how much I defend Matthews on the main boards. Everyone always says "Matthews is great at scoring goals but give me ________ player who plays a more complete game"

Glad to see the industry recognizes a great player.

There's no reason to care or try and convince the trolls and slackjaws on the mainboards. A lot of people think he's not only not a plus defensive player, but a liability and soft in his own end.

 

[Marshy]

And very different then the 200 foot game Burke insisted that Kessel was playing back in the day LOL

how far away was the hot dog vendor from the dressing room?

 

[Joey Hoser]

When do you think he gets the 'C' ?

He should have been captain instead of Tavares, but they won't take it off JT now, unless it's his idea.

 

[PromisedLand]

Paul Marner chimes in 3...2...1....

 

[Joey Hoser]

Oilers fan coming in peace

You guys are talking about Matthews potentially being in the Selke race and having a pretty good 200 foot game. I don’t catch a lot of Leafs games so I was hoping one of you guys could fill me in. What makes him such a good 2 way player? I know he can shoot it like nothing else but the idea of him being good on the other side of the puck has never been on my radar.

What's most noticeably new for me, is how often our defense will be battling around in the corners or around the net, and Matthews will come back to help out, and he just immediately neutralize the play, grabs the puck and starts the rush the other way.

He's always been solid defensively. He has the tools, obviously, and never really got caught out of position and was rarely to blame for goals against. But now, he's really starting to tilt the ice the other way with his defensive play.

 

[lipstickjunkie]

Even Strength

Matthews: 12gms, 18:22toi, 55gl/82pt pace --- (PP: 3:15toi, 21gl/21pt pace)
Marner: 13gms, 17:21toi, 38gl/88pt pace ------- (PP: 3:07toi, 0gl/44pt pace)

McDavid: 15gms, 17:12toi, 27gl/88pt pace -- (PP: 5:06toi, 22gl/60pt pace)
Draisaitl: 15gms, 16:16toi, 16gl/82pt pace --- (PP: 5:10toi, 22gl/49pt pace)

Is there a particular website you refer to for your stats?

 

[MattySnipes]

Oilers fan coming in peace

You guys are talking about Matthews potentially being in the Selke race and having a pretty good 200 foot game. I don’t catch a lot of Leafs games so I was hoping one of you guys could fill me in. What makes him such a good 2 way player? I know he can shoot it like nothing else but the idea of him being good on the other side of the puck has never been on my radar.

Tbh, its not much he's changed. I would say the off-season training he did where he lost the weight has really helped him POP on the ice. You can see how his body is reacting to what his brain wants it to do at any given moment when on the ice.

Before he would have trouble getting out of a maze of players or avoiding hits, shifting btwn players, etc. He would get fatigued a lot or not feel good on the ice.

He honestly saw what we were all seeing and spoke to experts and realised this would be the best thing for him to do. He did it. Gave full commitment off-season.

So far it looks like its paid off.

There's also an article (I can PM you) on The Athletic which details his past off-season. Amazing article.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

This is the best Matthews has ever been.

Legit Rocket + Selke + Hart candidate. If he sustains this for the entire season, I can see him taking at least 2/3 of these awards.

 

[Drai Fi]

What's most noticeably new for me, is how often our defense will be battling around in the corners or around the net, and Matthews will come back to help out, and he just immediately neutralize the play, grabs the puck and starts the rush the other way.

He's always been solid defensively. He has the tools, obviously, and never really got caught out of position and was rarely to blame for goals against. But now, he's really starting to tilt the ice the other way with his defensive play.

Tbh, its not much he's changed. I would say the off-season training he did where he lost the weight has really helped him POP on the ice. You can see how his body is reacting to what his brain wants it to do at any given moment when on the ice.

Before he would have trouble getting out of a maze of players or avoiding hits, shifting btwn players, etc. He would get fatigued a lot or not feel good on the ice.

He honestly saw what we were all seeing and spoke to experts and realised this would be the best thing for him to do. He did it. Gave full commitment off-season.

So far it looks like its paid off.

There's also an article (I can PM you) on The Athletic which details his past off-season. Amazing article.

Appreciate the responses guys, thank you.

 

[Jmo89]

Agreed fully!

In the thread "best 1st overall since McDavid" I literally just had a poster say Matthews has no 200ft game. Man people are stupid.

Don't bother. Half the people responding don't actually watch the games, and their main retort is "lol leaf fans."

Matthews is still an amazing player regardless of what the main boards say.