Auston Matthews is considered to be one of the best goal-scorers in the game today – and maybe the best hope of surpassing Alex Ovechkin as the NHL’s Scoring King one day.
But against the Florida Panthers? Matthews is still searching for his first goal of the series. In fact, he has just two goals in nine games. Four Toronto Maple Leafs’ players have more than that, with William Nylander leading the way with six.
Great scorers will register a lot of shot attempts. But Matthews actually is sitting with the most missed shots in this series.
Coach Craig Berube’s solution?
“Hit the net,” he said Saturday morning to a crowd of laughter.
“Look, he’s a great scorer, we all know that. I’m not too worried about it. It is what it is. Yeah, he needs to hit the net. He’s trying to hit the net, he’s not trying to miss the net.”
Matthews has registered 11 shots through three games, trailing just John Tavares (12) league-wide over the past week. Tavares had a quiet first two games before scoring twice in Game 3. Of the seven players with at least nine shots in the second round, Matthews is the only player without a goal.
Leafs fans have been waiting for that big moment from Big Papi since kicking things off against Ottawa. Instead, Nylander and Mitch Marner have helped pick up the slack. Matthews’ inability to pull off clutch plays in big moments has been a big source of criticism throughout his career, and it’s getting amplified again against Florida.
“I think he’s doing the right things, he’s getting good looks,” forward Matthew Knies said. “On the first goal (on Friday), he got a good tip there, but it just hit the post. Little things like that. He’s doing the right things, getting chances and it’s bound to fall for him.”
Matthews has struggled to score throughout his playoff career. In 64 games, just 25 of his 58 points have been goals. That’s a 39 percent scoring rate, which is a big step behind his 64 percent rate in the regular season. Big-name players typically get targeted – but given Matthews’ lack of goals this season 33 in 67 games), you have to wonder if he’s playing anywhere near 100 percent health.
Away from the puck, though, Matthews’ teammates have liked what they’ve seen. Matthews is near the top in most 5-on-5 analytical categories for the Leafs. Sometimes, luck just doesn’t go your way. Toronto has outscored their opponents 10-3 with him on the ice for a goals-for percentage of 76.92 – so if he isn’t scoring, he’s rarely getting scored on.
“He’s playing all over the ice extremely well. As a teammate, that’s what you notice first and foremost,” Max Pacioretty said. “He’s creating a lot of chances. For us in the room, it’s not about looking at the stat sheet and the goal column. It’s about what you do all over the ice.”
Leafs fans will always expect more out of No. 34 because of who he is and what he’s capable of. But even though he hasn’t scored, it hasn’t been due to a lack of effort, and his play away from the puck has been solid. But just think – given Toronto has played well without his offense, just imagine how good this team could be when the captain gets back on track.