Insider Reveals the Hidden Key to Auston Matthews' NHL Success
NHL Insider Jeff Marek and Troy Smith of Hockey IQ spoke about what they thought was the hidden reason for Auston Matthews' success.
Auston Matthews has never had issues scoring goals, this much is obvious. Adding two more against Nashville on Wednesday, his return from injury has been a huge boost for the Maple Leafs. But according to Troy Smith of Hockey IQ, it's due to his incredible positioning.
Auston Matthews' Secret Gameplan
If the Toronto Maple Leafs had concerns about Auston Matthews' return going wrong, they were dashed quickly as he's come back strong with five points since. But Matthews' scoring ability isn't all due to his lightning quick release either.
As Troy Smith points out, Matthews has an uncanny ability to be able to slow himself down on the rush in order to give defenses a false sense of security that he's slowed down or not engaged fully, which allows him to sneak past and get chances.
It's a savvy move from the captain that allows him a bit more freedom on the ice.
Defenses expect him to be the forefront of the offense but with how potent the Leafs are, he can sit back and let them make a pass as he glides through the open lanes.
That's not all though, as Smith pointed out that Matthews' ability to always face the puck and look for the pass in open ice has led to a lot of scoring opportunities:
In this video above, twice you see Matthews reposition himself in order to face the net and find open ice, leading to his first of two goals against Nashville on Wednesday.
It's a big facet of Matthews' game that shows just how deep his knowledge of the game is, being able to recognize defenses and find a way to pounce on the smallest mistakes leading him to score 376 career goals up to this point.
The brilliance of Matthews' positioning should not be overlooked, as his ability to be aware of the puck at all times, while simultaneously recognizing defensive mistakes has led not only Matthews, but Toronto to a lot of success.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Auston Matthews' secret to success is his positioning? | ||
| Yes | 266 | 75.1 % |
| No | 88 | 24.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
