Elliotte Friedman reveals the real reason Auston Matthews has been in a scoring slump to start the season
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently spoke about the reasons that Auston Matthews is having a tough start to the NHL season and how he can overcome it.
Auston Matthews is one of the greatest pure goal-scorers in the sport and has yet to record a point through the team's first three games of the season. That is an oddity for a three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner; in terms of a lack of production, there's little cause for alarm. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been doing fine; they might have come close to winning three games if not for a spectacular Sam Montembeault in the opening of the season for the Canadiens.
Elliotte Friedman had an interesting tidbit recently on his 32 Thoughts podcast with respect to how Matthews is taking things; he's simply not stressing about his slow start, per Friedman. The more important thing is, that Matthews has become a more complete player since donning the captain's 'C' for the Leafs, being much more committed to the defensive side of the puck and the team game in general.
He might dispute that. I'm not sure he would like that, because he takes great pride in how well-rounded he wanted to be in the first place, but a couple of guys did say to me -- he doesn't give away a lot, but he almost looks completely unbothered by the fact that he's not producing while they're winning.
He's trying to be even more detailed than he was... I just thought that was an interesting take on him so far."
-Elliotte Friedman
Matthews has always been considered a great two-way player to the point he's received some votes for the Selke Trophy, given to the NHL's best defensive forward. Now, being captain, he is putting even more onus on his defensive game. Not only might this help him take another step in his game, but it may rub off on his teammates to think more defensively, which would make the team more challenging to play against.
All things considered, for a player who has been one of the most consistent goal-scorers in the world, no one should really worry about Matthews' drought as it is. The goals will come. Far more significant is his commitment to win and to focus on aspects of the game that do not get much attention. It's this version of Matthews, with an improved D and some solid goaltending, which may just hold the key to this type of postseason success that has so far eluded the Leafs.
There's no need to panic regarding Auston Matthews' slow start. He and the Leafs know the goals will come, as they ultimately always do for a player of that magnitude. More encouraging, though, is his commitment to playing the right way, setting examples for teammates as captain, and making sure his team benefits from his overall play. This change can be key to the success of the team in both the regular season and the playoffs.
