dappleganger
Well-known member
Matthews being shitty after 11 games isn't a Mitch Marner problem if Matthews has sucked since February 1, 2025.
Blue Jackets vs. Leafs - Oct. 29th, 7:30pm - SN1
- Thread starter CarltonTheBear
- Start date
dappleganger
Well-known member
I don't believe Matthews not scoring is a Marner factor. Matthews has scored (*often at a higher rate without Marner) regardless of who he played with. This is something else. I believe if anything it would be injury related.
What is the injury...he is still able to rip shots and has done so a number of times this year (both wrist and one-timer). That makes me think it's probably not the wrist, though it could be something that acts up and then calms down. Something like the back or back/shoulder makes more sense. I've had back problems for many years and it wears on you. I will also dare say this, he's never really been a rah-rah or emotional guy on the ice (except for rare occasions) but he looks really out of it so far this year. The word that comes to mind is morose...he looks depressed, just going through the motions. It could be that constant pain or fear of aggravating whatever the injury is has really gotten into his head. He fumbles pucks (guy used to be able to stickhandle around or through players in a phone booth), shoots into legs, isn't the takeaway specialist anymore, generally looks indecisive and tentative. I feel bad for him and hope he can get past whatever it is, for his own sake as well as the team's.
His shot is nowhere near what it used to be, not even remotely close. Visually, you can see the whip, and accuracy is gone.
He may regret the 3-year maximize-the-shit-out-of-my-lifetime-earnings-contract.
dappleganger
Well-known member
It's the accuracy. Wrist, back, shoulder? Not sure what would be the cause for the degradation in his otherworldly ability to aim the puck.
L K
Well-known member
I do think play style is a factor. We talked last year about the lack of comeback stuff where the Leafs weren't coming back from 2 goals down because Matthews and Marner or Nylander/Tavares would get cooking.
But it's hard to not see Matthews and see an injured player and given that the play style is crossing multiple seasons I think we need to accept that we aren't getting peak Matthews back
But it's hard to not see Matthews and see an injured player and given that the play style is crossing multiple seasons I think we need to accept that we aren't getting peak Matthews back
I'm increasingly suspicious of his back
ZBBM
Well-known member
Agreed cw. That affects everything.
He'll have to figure out how to survive on $60 million (+ whatever remaining contracts he gets). Nice problem to have.
YYZ
Well-known member
He'll have made over $110 million US dollars at the conclusion of his current contract.
even tougher then
Marner was in on 38% of the goals last season. 61% of the PP goals. Over 50% of the PP goals over the last number of years have Marner on the scoresheet.
PP has been dismal this season.
It is hard to ignore the probability or possibility that some of the problem with the PP relates to the void of no Marner.
Matthews has 1 PP point this season.
I do not believe "It's all Matthews injury ... has nothing to do with one of the top-10 distributors of the puck in the NHL no longer being there."
The other thing I think Guilt Trip pointed out was that Matthews would feel he has to take on more defensive responsibility when Marner wasn't on his line. Or I would add: Matthews could not take as many offensive risks because he could no longer rely on Marner's speed to recover and defensive ability to help cover for him if the risk Matthews took didn't pan out. That may be curtailing Matthews offensively - probably is.
There may well be something to the claim Berube's system doesn't suit Matthews. I have not looked at that closely enough to develop a credible opinion but it is plausible.
Having said that, I think the biggest factor is Matthews health. He's playing like he has some physical limitations or vulnerabilities that he has to protect. He'll probably get better at that as he goes. But I'm developing doubts that he'll be able to play as well as he had.
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