Auston Matthews heard the captaincy chatter, then Germany happened

You have to hand it to Auston Matthews. For a guy who is under the microscope so much in Toronto, he gets a chance to win gold with Team USA during the 2026 Olympics yet he's still criticized online.

Many are wondering if he was the right choice for the captaincy, and his consistent failures to 'win the big one' have given him a reputation as a regular season player who can't get it done when it matters most.

It can't be easy ignoring that all the time, and for Matthews perhaps he decided that he wanted to silence everyone once and for all.

Team USA had their final preliminary game against Germany on Sunday and with a chance to secure their spot in the quarterfinals, Matthews decided it was up to him to get things done.

He started things off with a late assist on a Zach Werenski goal, then followed it up with his second goal of the tournament.

Not stopping there, Matthews decided he wanted to double up and added a second goal to make things 5-0 for the Americans. This pushed him to five points in three Olympic Games, with no real signs of slowing down.

He finished the game with three points, a plus-one, three shots on goal in only 15:17 TOI.

It's on par for Matthews considering he was on a tear heading into the break with 11 points in 11 games (4 goals, 7 assists) including a three-game point streak out west heading into the Olympics.

But it's the full 200 foot game that Matthews really shines and for all his offensive accolades, he needs to be commended for a player who is a very smart and active defensive player and has seemingly showed a lot more aggression during the tournament.

If the Maple Leafs are hoping to have a strong performance leading up to the trade deadline and past and with playoff aspirations in mind, they are going to need as much momentum from their captain as possible. If Matthews can continue this pace and even secure the gold, then it'll change his entire reputation.

While he's certainly surrounded by a ton of star power, Auston Matthews is shining amongst them all the brightest and his appointment as Team USA captain seems like a great move from Mike Sullivan.

With a chance to rewrite history for himself and the Americans -- he's making sure any negativity is quickly snuffed out.

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