Auston Matthews isn’t looking like the elite scorer Toronto Maple Leafs fans have grown used to. Through 11 games this season, he’s scored just five goals, two of them empty-netters, and the captain is trending in the opposite direction from his previous dominant seasons.
Analysts are sounding the alarm. On the Real Kyper and Bourne Show, Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne, and Sam McKee questioned Matthews’ approach and effectiveness on the ice.
“Doesn’t work hard. He’s not working hard enough. He has been ineffective for how many games in a row now? Five? One five on five goal. I don’t know what it is.
We saw it in that Leafs package, he had a one on one and he dragged it and shot it into the guy’s ankles then changed; like there was no non-threatening chances whatsoever.”
The panel dissected Matthews’ in-game decisions, noting a lack of quick shots and poor positioning. A play was highlighted from a Leafs package where Matthews had a one-on-one opportunity, only to shoot directly into the defender’s ankles before abandoning the play entirely.
“I don’t know what’s going on with #34, but it’s a problem.”
While early-season slumps happen to even the best players, Matthews’ slow start is drawing unusually sharp criticism because of the high expectations that come with his role as team leader and elite scorer, especially with the void left up front by the departure of Mitch Marner this summer.
The Maple Leafs need Matthews to find his form if they hope to stay competitive in a tightly packed Atlantic Division. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely, hoping this slump is just a temporary bump and not a sign of a longer-term decline in one of hockey’s most lethal goal scorers.