The Toronto Maple Leafs hit the ice for practice at the Ford Performance Centre on Monday, and all eyes were on Auston Matthews, who is off to a slow start to the season with a three-game point drought – a rarity in his career.
“It’s nice to get the first one to get going sometimes,” Matthews, the 27-year-old centre, acknowledged. “But you take what you get and what the game gives you sometimes.”
This is only the second time in Matthews’ career that he has experienced a season-opening point drought. The last time was in the 2021-22 season, when he was recovering from wrist surgery. However, Matthews quickly turned things around that season with consecutive hat tricks and ultimately finished with an impressive 69 goals and his third Rocket Richard Trophy.
Despite not getting on the scoresheet yet this season, Matthews has been relentless in shooting the puck, leading the team with 15 shots on net and hitting the post a couple of times.
“You just continue to play the right way, continue to generate chances,” Matthews said optimistically. “It’s going to go in eventually and that’s when you can kind of get on a roll.”
Even head coach Craig Berube recognizes Matthews’ efforts, emphasizing his ability to create scoring opportunities even when the puck isn’t finding the back of the net.
“He’s getting chances,” Berube commented. “He had eight shots last game. I mean, he’s getting opportunities. They don’t go in all the time. You go through stretches as a player. I went through a lot of stretches like that. Like, 50 games.”
The coach’s humorous remark elicited laughs from the gathered media, highlighting the positive attitude surrounding Matthews’ early-season struggles. Fans and analysts alike are eagerly anticipating the moment when Matthews’ scoring touch returns, potentially leading the Maple Leafs to further success on the ice.