The good and the bad, Auston Matthews saw it all in October.
After two hat tricks that earned him the Rocket Richard Trophy, he had two shots on goal in a meaningless Halloween performance, putting him at minus-4 over his last seven starts.
The Leafs were cheered in Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to Los Angeles with a three-goal game in the past, according to social media.
Matthews and his main wing, Mitch Marner, found the 5v5 playing conditions difficult as Matthews was quick out of the gate. They weren’t on the same page some nights and what could be considered a slow start was despite a rotation of new left fielders and points in all but two of Marner’s games.
“There’s only so much you can do at once,” Matthews said of his frustration after an equally strong charge was dismissed Wednesday. “As a line and as a team (the Leafs) need to be more aggressive and spend more time in the zone.
With the five of us on the rink, it’s up to us to practice and talk to each other.
Coach Sheldon Keefe believes the pair needs “more speed, more execution, playmaking and overall agility” to bounce back and help others.
“That means spending more time in the offensive zone.
The more you embarrass your opponent, the easier it will be to get the puck back.
“I have a lot of confidence (in Matthews and Marner).
These are the elite players in the league and we’re talking about them.
Because you expect such exceptional standards. Even if they’re not great, they’re still very good players and a big part of every win we’ve had.
“It’s still too early for these guys.
They have played a lot of hockey for us this season (top 5 in ice time per game) and in recent seasons.
It keeps getting better.
“We will work on those, but there are other things on the list that we are prioritizing.”
common boat
Keefe has been in contact with his brother Adam, EIHL Belfast Giants coach Adam Johnson, following the tragedy in which the Nottingham Panthers forward died after being decapitated by an opponent’s blade. Belfast play Nottingham later this month.
“It’s a very difficult and scary situation for the entire hockey world,” the Toronto coach said.
“It’s been a difficult time and their rivalry has been put on hold to allow everyone to process what happened.”
Are you traveling with GIO?
Mark Giordano was thrilled last week when he got a text from a friend letting him know Nashville was empty.
Leaf, 40, became the third-oldest defenseman to score in the 60s, behind Allan Stanley and Coffee. Tim Hortons is a legend.
“It’s really cool,” Giordano said.
“You can look at it from two angles, but I look at it as a positive because he’s the oldest player in the league (this season).”
Is he planning to open a fast food chain in Toronto when he retires?
“Gio donuts? “Probably cannolis.” she said smiling.
leaves
Defender Jake McCabe (lower body sprain) hopes to return to training in the future.
“When they returned to skate, they do not expect to know again.” They say they have been skated for a few days from the defender, but struggling with elegant hockey cancer for several weeks.
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In Calgary there was a list of leaves. Also mentioned was Gordie Clark, who has held various leadership roles in the NHL.
