Matthews’ Offense Quiet as Maple Leafs’ Series with Panthers Nears Crucial Point
TORONTO — Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has been held off the scoresheet against Florida in the playoffs, but coach Craig Berube is reminding his sniper that the goals will come. The best-of-seven series, now tied 2-2, shifts back to Toronto for Game 5 on Wednesday.
Matthews’ Scoring Drought
The 27-year-old center has gone scoreless in the series, despite peppering the nets with 75 shot attempts. He’s had several quality chances, including a game-saving effort by Sergei Bobrovsky in Game 4, but none have found the back of the net. Matthews had a streak of eight consecutive games with at least one goal during the regular season.
“The chances have been there. Just got to do a better job of bearing down.” — Auston Matthews
Matthews, who scored twice against the Ottawa Senators in the first round, has had 40 of his shots blocked or go wide. He’s also missed some practice time due to an upper-body injury.
Coach Berube’s Message
Berube isn’t concerned about Matthews’ drought. “He does a lot of other things in the game that really dictate things,” the coach said, adding that Matthews’ contributions go beyond scoring goals. Berube believes that Matthews’ first playoff goal is coming soon.
Power Play Struggles
The Maple Leafs have struggled on the power play, scoring just once in 10 opportunities against the Panthers. In Game 4, Toronto had three power-play chances in the second period but managed only four shots on goal. Berube attributed this to poor execution and costly penalties.
Penalties and Controversy
Leafs forward Max Domi was fined US$5,000 for boarding Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov at the final buzzer of Game 4. However, Berube questioned the disparity in punishment, comparing Domi’s hit to an unpenalized elbow to the head of Mitch Marner by Florida’s Dmitry Kulikov earlier in the game.
Looking Ahead
With the series on the line, Berube isn’t planning significant lineup changes for Game 5. He believes the team has played well despite the Florida power play converting once in four opportunities in the first period of Game 4.
FAQs
- Why is Auston Matthews struggling to score against Florida?
- It’s unclear, as Matthews has had numerous quality chances but has been unable to convert them into goals.
- Has Auston Matthews ever gone scoreless in a playoff series before?
- Yes, he was held pointless in five games against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2019 Stanley Cup Qualifiers.
dále: More Maple Leafs news →
Article originally published on 247Sports.