Concerning Stat Emerges On Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews for the Month of October
A new stat has emerged regarding Maple Leafs' captain Auston Matthews and it's a worrying sign that things aren't going the way either the team or Matthews expected.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are having a hot and cold season, to say the least. After a fairly hot start, they've only won twice in their last seven games, being outscored 21-10 and looking completely out of sorts. There has been zero production from their bottom six, and it is only thanks to their second line and the production of Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews that they haven't been worse.
Speaking of Matthews, he's been off to a slow start this season this season only having 5 goals to start through 13 games, and while there is a lot of time to bring it back, there is something worrying going on with the Maple Leafs captain. A new stat has emerged that shows Matthews needs to start picking things up:
That's right. Auston Matthews hasn't scored a 5-on-5 goal in the last seven games. Only scoring twice at even strength this season, it's a very concerning sign that Matthews is in some type of regression period for whatever reason. He doesn't look like he has that lightning-quick shot he's known for and it feels like he can't get the shots through when he has a chance. Five goals on 56 shots have him at under 10% shooting percentage for the first time in his career; heck he had four goals in his NHL debut.
It could be a possibility that giving Matthews the 'C' added some underlying pressure for him to perform exceptionally this season, and the extra responsibility is giving him some type of mental block. He's been a great leader so far, case in point when he stood up for Mitch Marner, and as much as it's seen as a cosmetic addition more than anything, the captain's role has a deep history. Needing to not only be a leader for your teammates and community but perform to the elite level you're known for, Matthews may feel disappointed in himself which in turn leads to a downturn in production; it's just a snowballing effect.
Perhaps it would be best to switch things up maybe not linemate-wise but positioning-wise. Toronto's second line has been doing fantastic, so possibly giving them the option vs. the opponent's #1 line and letting Matthews/Marner/Knies face off with their second line, could provide more goals at even strength. It's not a perfect solution but it's a different look and something does need to change if Matthews doesn't want to have the worst season of his career.
