The Toronto Maple Leafs have seen a couple of droughts end over the last two games. At the same time, Auston Matthews returned to the lineup after missing about two weeks. Matthews has missed 15 games this season due to an undisclosed upper-body injury. After lots of anxiousness, the captain returned and made an immediate impact in many ways.
Matthews Leading By Example
Before Matthews was ruled out of the lineup back in December, he consistently played with Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies on his wing. Before the captain’s return, Knies found himself in a scoring slump. Furthermore, in a 16-game stretch, Knies only scored two goals and recorded three assists. The Maple Leafs weren’t getting enough out of the 22-year-old and needed him to step up. Even head coach Craig Berube called him out in an interview saying he needed to be more “reckless.”
However, he was re-acquainted with his old linemate for Toronto’s game against the Boston Bruins on Saturday. The Leafs picked up a 6-4 victory and the first line was everywhere in this tilt. Toronto’s top line combined for five goals and seven assists for 12 points on the night. This performance was highlighted by a Knies hat trick, the first one of his career. The Maple Leafs’ young winger got the spotlight for his game. Nonetheless, he was snapped out of his scoring drought at the hands of two primary assists from Matthews.
Nevertheless, the magic didn’t end there. In the second half of a back-to-back, Toronto hosted the Philadelphia Flyers and Matthews continued to have a positive impact on his team and teammates. He recorded another primary assist for Knies to convert his 15th goal of the season. Morgan Rielly scored the overtime winner, also assisted by Matthews. Toronto’s defence went through December without a goal, until Matthews came back. They’ve scored three goals in the last two games. It’s no coincidence that once the captain comes back, others around him find their games again. Disregarding the games Matthews missed, he is currently on a six-game point streak.
Protecting the Captain
This isn’t the first time Matthews returned from an injury this season. He missed nearly the entire month of November because of an aggravated injury. It’s been the same injury that he sustained in the preseason. There was the belief that he was back to full health when he returned the first time. However, that wasn’t the case because he was sidelined for another six games after receiving a cross-check against the Buffalo Sabres that found his vulnerable spot.
Therefore, how can fans and the team know that Matthews is officially back? Conversely, he’s looked very confident and comfortable in his last two appearances. Matthews hasn’t shied away from throwing hits and being physical, which is a great sign. In addition, the centreman has played with a bundle of energy, putting everything on the line in each shift. Earlier this season, there were obvious signs that Matthews wasn’t himself. However, now he looks back to his old self. He has the stats to back it up and passes the eye test too.
Nonetheless, Berube wants to remain cautious about the captain’s health going forward. The Leafs bench boss discussed his openness to sitting Matthews for some games if necessary. He also brought up the idea of restricting his minutes to protect his injury. Berube didn’t seem too worried in their last game when he kept the captain on the ice for over 20 minutes. Also, in the Bruins game, he had 17:32 of ice time, which is nearly three minutes lower than his season average.
Main Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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