When evaluating Auston Matthews` playoff performance, two points stand out:
1. The Toronto Maple Leafs captain contributes significantly beyond just scoring, excelling in areas like winning crucial faceoffs and handling difficult defensive matchups.
2. Despite his other contributions, he still needs to increase his goal production.
Matthews hasn`t scored against the Florida Panthers in the current second-round series, which is tied after the Maple Leafs initially led 2-0. This extends a quiet scoring stretch for the NHL`s leading goal-scorer over the last nine years, who has managed just three goals in his last 20 playoff appearances since the beginning of the 2023 Maple Leafs-Panthers series.
Addressing Matthews` scoring slump, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube commented on Monday, “I understand the concern, but he influences the game in many other significant ways and performs well in numerous aspects. He just needs to stay focused on those contributions. He`ll get his scoring chances, and he should stick to his game without getting overly frustrated, because his value isn`t solely defined by goals.”
