• For users coming over from tmlfans.ca your username will remain the same but you will need to use the password reset feature (check your spam folder) on the login page in order to set your password. If you encounter issues, email Rick couchmanrick@gmail.com

What's wrong with Auston Matthews?

New York Times: Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews unsure if he’ll fully get past injury this season: ‘I hope so’
Speaking for the first time since he last played on Dec. 20, Matthews said he hoped he would eventually be able to move past his current injury, an undisclosed ailment that has bothered him since training camp, but couldn’t be sure.

“I don’t know. I hope so,” Matthews said. “That’s obviously the goal. It’s tricky with these things sometimes. It’s a physical sport, it’s a contact sport, so things happen out there sometimes that are out of your control. So I’m just trying to manage it as best as I can, and we can, and you just go from there.”
...

“When you’re injured as a player and (people) are always asking you ‘how you feeling?’ it gets annoying. When he’s available, he’ll let us know,” head coach Craig Berube said. “Right now, the situation we’re in with him, I’m preparing the team to play without him. We’ll know when he’s ready and we’ll make adjustments.”
...
Matthews acknowledged a cross-check from Buffalo Sabres defenceman Dennis Gilbert was only partly to blame for his absence. “But yeah, I’d say that definitely didn’t help the cause,” he said. .. Matthews said he was feeling “discomfort” and “pain” as he twice played through the injury.

Matthews said his recent rest is helping with his recovery but added, “I’m not really somebody that likes to stay still for long, so I’m just trying to do what I can, maybe without overexerting certain things. I’m trying to just stay in as good shape as you can when you can’t skate and stuff like that.”
Click to expand...

Whatever the Cup odds were, this will is very likely to lower them.

I cannot imagine him playing in the 4 Nations after that report.
 
Opposing coach: "Every time Matthews touches the puck, you hit him!"
 
The silver lining, if there ever is one when your franchise 1C runs into health issues, is maybe he will be more amenable to one of those deferred salary contracts on his next deal, for some cost assurances while his career tails off. Deferred bonuses would make it easier to take one-year Spezza deals after his prime contracts are up.
 
Last night he looked closer to Injured Matthews than Matthews Matthews. One good shot rang the bar, but several muffs, and of course very few SOG.

Unless he really somehow gets things righted, I don't think it matters how well they play Berube-style in the post-season.
 
ZBBM said:
Last night he looked closer to Injured Matthews than Matthews Matthews. One good shot rang the bar, but several muffs, and of course very few SOG.

Unless he really somehow gets things righted, I don't think it matters how well they play Berube-style in the post-season.
Click to expand...
I still think McMann is a problem on that line. Matthews-Marner excel the most when they have a puck retriever as the 3rd guy. That's really not McMann's best role. McMann likes to shoot the puck. There have been a number of plays where Matthews would be open and McMann would drive toward the net and shoot. I'm not saying that Matthews looked good (because he's had two pretty mediocre games in a row) but I don't like the fit on that line. I really kind of wish that they would at least try Domi-Matthews-Marner and see if that's something that can get Max going. I think McMann is a better fit with Nylander anyway and McMann-Holmberg-XXXX isn't an unreasonable line when everyone is healthy.
 
ZBBM said:
Last night he looked closer to Injured Matthews than Matthews Matthews. One good shot rang the bar, but several muffs, and of course very few SOG.

Unless he really somehow gets things righted, I don't think it matters how well they play Berube-style in the post-season.
Click to expand...
Don't agree about last night. Played 21:40, had 6 shots, won almost 70% of his draws, 2 blocked shots, shot attempt diff of +14. Agree that we will need him to be a factor but that goes for the rest of them as well.
 
L K said:
I still think McMann is a problem on that line. Matthews-Marner excel the most when they have a puck retriever as the 3rd guy. That's really not McMann's best role. McMann likes to shoot the puck. There have been a number of plays where Matthews would be open and McMann would drive toward the net and shoot. I'm not saying that Matthews looked good (because he's had two pretty mediocre games in a row) but I don't like the fit on that line. I really kind of wish that they would at least try Domi-Matthews-Marner and see if that's something that can get Max going. I think McMann is a better fit with Nylander anyway and McMann-Holmberg-XXXX isn't an unreasonable line when everyone is healthy.
Click to expand...
Domi Matthews (with Bert) unleashes the dragon in Matthews and gave him a burst to 69 with a ton of vigor. With Knies out, nows the time to try Domi on L1 because he desperately needs a boost too.
 
Matthew's captain of Team USA. Is anyone surprised? I'm on the Matthews train but I didn't necessarily think of him as captain of USA. What an honour, good for him.
 
Guilt Trip said:
Don't agree about last night. Played 21:40, had 6 shots, won almost 70% of his draws, 2 blocked shots, shot attempt diff of +14. Agree that we will need him to be a factor but that goes for the rest of them as well.
Click to expand...

He had some good shifts, but other than the post none of his shots looked dangerous. He is not dominating games at all this year.
 
cabber24 said:
Matthew's captain of Team USA. Is anyone surprised? I'm on the Matthews train but I didn't necessarily think of him as captain of USA. What an honour, good for him.
Click to expand...
I think it was pretty expected actually. The U.S. roster is pretty young and the older ones aren't/haven't been captains in the NHL.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
I think it was pretty expected actually. The U.S. roster is pretty young and the older ones aren't/haven't been captains in the NHL.
Click to expand...

Eichel is only a bit older, was a former captain (of a bad team), and won a Cup, so I was expecting him to be named more than Matthews.
 
cabber24 said:
69 goals might be an outlier season, no one's come close to that recently. I don't think it's reasonable to expect that again and again.

I am not sure if he's not 100%, he's hit a few posts and this discussion wouldn't happen if those went in.
Click to expand...

Not really much of an outlier. Might be the highest he hits, but he's had two other seasons at a similar pace.

20/21 he had 41 in 51 games, which is a 65 goal pace.
21/22 he had 60 in 73 games, which is a 67 goal pace.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top