When evaluating Auston Matthews` performance in the playoffs, two points can simultaneously hold true:
1. The captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs positively influences games in many ways beyond just putting the puck in the net, including winning crucial faceoffs and handling tough defensive assignments.
2. Despite his other contributions, he needs to find the back of the net more often.Matthews has not scored a goal against the Florida Panthers in their current second-round series, which became tied after the Panthers erased a 2-0 deficit. The NHL`s most prolific scorer over the past nine seasons has managed only three goals in his last 20 playoff games, a span that began with the 2023 series against these same Panthers.
Addressing reporters on Monday about Matthews` lack of goals, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube stated, “I understand [the concern], but he does a lot of other things in the game that really dictate things and does a great job with a lot of other areas of the game. He’s just got to keep focusing on that. He’s going to get his looks, and (he) just (needs to) stick with what he’s doing and (not) get too frustrated with anything, because it’s not just about scoring goals.”
Tristan Blackwood