Berube Not Overly Concerned by Matthews’ Scoring Slump Against Panthers

Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews is currently enduring a notable scoring drought in the second-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers. Despite being known for his exceptional goal-scoring prowess, including two seasons with over 60 goals and nearly hitting 70 this past regular season, Matthews has been held without a goal through the first four games of the best-of-seven matchup, which is now tied 2-2.

In Game 4, he had multiple opportunities to score, including a close-range shot snagged by Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, several chances on the power play that were stifled, and another shot that went wide.

However, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube indicated he is not overly concerned about his captain`s lack of goals. Berube noted that Matthews is still getting “good opportunities,” pointing out that he`s been hitting posts and goalies are making strong saves against him.

“He`s getting opportunities,” Berube said on Monday. “Good opportunities too. He`s hitting posts and goalies are making saves.” He reiterated, “I`m not overly concerned about it.”

Berube also stressed that Matthews` contribution extends beyond simply putting the puck in the net. “It`s not all about scoring,” Berube added. “It`s about the whole game.” He praised Matthews` effort, stating, “Auston`s playing a good game, he`s playing the game hard.” The coach expressed belief that the goals will eventually come: “He`s getting chances to score. At some point here, they`re going to go in for him.”

The challenging nature of playoff scoring was also highlighted by Florida coach Paul Maurice, who faced a similar question about his star, Sam Reinhart, also being goalless in the series despite a 50-goal regular season.

“Playoff hockey,” Maurice remarked. “There`s a long history of real important players not lighting the lamp every night. It`s incredibly difficult to score in this league. And then it gets harder.”

Both teams` top offensive threats are being tightly defended in the series.

The series is evenly matched at two games apiece and will return to Florida for Game 5 on Tuesday night. Berube took over as head coach for the Maple Leafs on Friday, having previously led the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup win in 2019.