Auston Matthews Breaks Silence on 'The Michigan' Attempt Against the Lightning
It's a rarity saved only for the most daring, but Leafs captain Auston Matthews took a risk with his highlight reel goal attempt and explained why he attempted it.
Whenever a player decides to showcase a little flair and end up doing a deke, or completely undressing the opponent; it always makes for exciting hockey as these solo individual efforts seem to lead to phenomenal goals or at least, the possibility.
From Pavel Datsyuk's absurd lob shot against Philadelphia to Nathan MacKinnon's most recent gorgeous maneuver, there's never a shortage of ways to put the puck in the net.
But one you don't see too often is 'The Michigan', an elite and extremely precise goal-scoring method reserved for only the most daring which is why it's no surprise to see Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews give it a go on Monday night.
Auston Matthews' Comments Regarding 'Michigan' Attempt
It was undoubtedly an attempt that had it gone in, would have added yet another nasty bit of weaponry to an already elite level of goal-scoring arsenal. Matthews played it off as just a regular hockey play, ignoring how incredibly difficult it is to pull off the feat:
For not having done it in a few seasons, Matthews looked like he practices it every time he steps on the ice, and the dexterity and fluidity he showed in such a small amount of time to process then commit to the action needs to be commended.
The move was originally coined as a 'high wrap' by minor league player Bill Armstrong and later adapted by Mike Legg who attended the University of Michigan.
He later scored with the move during the 1996 NCAA Tournament against Minnesota and later had the stick donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame as an homage to both Armstrong and Legg.
Fans were also hoping to see the Leafs captain put away the highlight reel goal, as all over social media they were stunned yet disappointed that Jonas Johansson made the save.
One fan even decided to poke a bit of fun toward the NCAA Championship Game, where Ohio State defeated Notre Dame.
Although he has never scored with the move, he did end up putting away a goal against Tampa to open the game's scoring.
Matthews and his line finished with eight points, as Matthew Knies potted two goals and a helper meanwhile Mitch Marner added two assists and an empty netter as they combined for a +5 on the night, and contributed to every Maple Leafs goal.
The captain pushed his point total to 14 points (8G, 6A) over his last nine games since returning from injury, and gives him 19 goals and 18 assists in 33 contests.
