'He talked and then he walked': Leafs captain Matthews 'grabbed hold of the room'

The Maple Leafs practised at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday.

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Auston Matthews was blunt after Saturday's loss. He said the Leafs lacked detail and urgency in their game. The first-year captain said the players had to get it through their heads that these would be playoff-like games against desperate opponents.

On Monday night, Matthews let his play do the talking.

"He grabbed a hold of the room," head coach Craig Berube said. "It's not good enough what's going on here and he went out and, you know, he talked and then he walked is really what it boils down to."

Berube sent his top line over the boards for the first shift of Monday's game against the Calgary Flames and the trio of Matthews, Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies immediately got the puck into the offensive zone and got to work.

Matthews was all over the puck.

"He went out and led the way with the work and the compete that was needed at the start of the game," Berube said.

It set the tone and a few minutes later the Leafs got on the board via a Max Domi goal and never looked back in a 6-2 win.

"Right from the get go, everyone was ready to play," Domi said. "We knew we needed this one."

Toronto built a 3-1 lead before Matthews left no doubt with a pair of power-play goals in the second period.

Leafs general manager Brad Treliving watched with a smile on his face down in West Palm Beach, Florida where he's attending the GM meetings.

"What stood out to me last night more than the goals was, he was the leader of our team in terms of his competitive approach, sort of setting the standard early in terms of his checking game," Treliving told TSN's Gino Reda. "He set the standard for our group to follow."

"He's the man, honestly," said Domi. "He battles through. He's probably the hardest-working guy I've ever played with my whole career, and I've played with a lot of guys. He's driving the bus for sure. It's tough not to jump on board with a guy like that."

Matthews also added an assist, a hit, two takeaways and three blocked shots, which matched the team high. He also won 76.5 per cent of his faceoffs.

"As talented as he is, you see him tracking back and turning pucks over and stripping guys and taking guys on one-on-three down low and coming out with the puck somehow," Domi said. "Obviously, the goal scoring speaks for itself, but it's all the other stuff and how he handles himself in here ... He's my favourite player to watch, favourite player to play with, and best player in the world. I love him to death, and he's doing a great job."

The Leafs had lost five of six games entering Monday, and had just one regulation win in nine games. They had just dropped consecutive home games to divisional opponents in the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators.

Matthews made it clear to teammates that enough was enough.

"Just strong leadership," said winger Bobby McMann. "He was leading on the ice, leading in the room, talking guys through it and just reiterating that we are a great team and we have what it takes to roll these teams if we want to."

The recent skid dropped the Leafs from first to third in the Atlantic Division as questions swirled around a restless fan base about the team's playoff prospects. 

"We're not too worried about that," Matthews said on Monday night. "I think just in this room, [it's about] making sure that everybody's got each other's back and just making sure that we know that we got better in here. We got a higher compete level and all that stuff. A good step in the right direction for us."

But only a step.

The surging Colorado Avalanche, who are 8-0-1 since Feb. 26, will be visiting Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night. Then the Leafs will travel to New York on Thursday to face a rested Rangers team that is one point out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"We know this week's going to be a challenging one," said Matthews. "We're playing some good teams. We got to enjoy this. It's not easy to win, especially when, you know, you're going through adversity. So, you'll enjoy this, and we'll be ready for a really good team coming in here on Wednesday and just try to keep this going."

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Matthews produced 18 multi-goal games last season en route to finishing with 69 and a third Rocket Richard Trophy. But Monday marked only the third multi-goal game for Matthews this year.

"It was only a matter of time before they started going in," Berube said. "And, you know, he's probably got a little more confidence today."

Is Matthews about to heat up?

"Hopefully," said Marner. "I think the thing is we're not really caring too much about that. We're just trying to play good hockey and know the results will come off it and that's what we did last night. We played the right way. We played good in all three zones. We got results on the power play, which was great to see. They'll fall eventually for him. It's something you don't need to get nervous about." 

Matthews is now up to 26 goals in 56 games this season. That puts him on pace for 34, which would match a career low.

Matthews has faced injury adversity this season missing 15 games due to a nagging upper-body issue. He missed one game at the 4 Nations Face-Off because of another unrelated injury.

After a day off on Friday, Berube decided to have Matthews skip Saturday's full team morning skate for additional rest.

"Listen, he's a confident guy anyhow," Berube continued. "He's not sitting here worrying, 'Well, I don't have as many goals as I had last year.' It's about playing 200 feet and doing the job and being a good leader."

Matthews is also dealing with some bad luck as well. His shooting percentage is 12.6, which is well below his career average of 15.9.

"I just love that his game didn't change," Knies said. "He played well defensively. He was still making plays and creating plays. He got a handful of assists and was creating plays. But, yeah, it's nice to see it fall for him now ... Hopefully he can catch some fire here and keep it going."

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It won't be easy on Wednesday night as Matthews has failed to score in his last four games against the Avalanche.

The Matthews line will likely see a lot of the Nathan MacKinnon line as well as the Cale Makar, Devon Toews defence pairing. Marner played with all three of those Avalanche stars on Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Marner was asked if he learned anything new being around MacKinnon and Makar.

"I think you know just from hearing everything, and you see highlights all the time, especially of Nate and Cale just doing some crazy things," Marner said. "I was really, actually, impressed with Toews, just with his calmness and his presence out there and just defensively. Him and Cale just work so well together as a D pairing that I think it just brings a lot of steadiness to your team."

Of course, Marner was well aware of MacKinnon's reputation for being intense at all times. 

"That's definitely accurate," Marner said. "I've done a couple camps with him before and that's something you appreciate and admire is, regardless of if it's a summer skate or a hockey game or a massive game, his compete and demeanour is always the same. [It] is something you can take away from it and try to learn off of and try to do yourself too."

MacKinnon, the reigning Hart Trophy winner, is leading the NHL in scoring with 103 points. He potted a pair of goals in Colorado's 7-4 win over the Leafs on March 8.

What's it like playing him right now?

"It's hard," said Knies. "It's difficult. The speed he has and he plays a lot of the game. He's really dangerous when he gets the puck on his stick in the neutral zone. His ability to maneuver and get around defenders, it's pretty unique. So, it will be hard to deal with, but we just gotta try to stay above him and try to contain him."

MacKinnon leads all NHL forwards in average ice time (22:52). Marner is sixth (21:28) and Matthews is 14th (20:36).

Always in demand, Matthews was not available to reporters on Tuesday as the team looked to get him a break.

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The Avalanche bolstered their depth at the deadline by adding Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle down the middle.

The Leafs depth is looking a bit better of late with Domi heating up.

"Domi's game has gone to another level," noted Berube. "To me, he's way more aggressive is what I see. He's being the player like we want him to be, where he's in people's faces, he's disrupting things, he's using his speed, and he's a playmaker. He can make plays. The guy can pass the puck. But, for me, it's about the skating."

Domi seemed to hit a new gear during last week's game against the Panthers when he levelled Carter Verhaeghe with a huge hit, handily won a fight with Nate Schmidt and blasted a puck past Sergei Bobrovsky.

"He's playing with a lot of passion," said McMann. "It's been fun to watch. That Florida game, he was lights out. That was some good hockey there and then he's just been keeping it rolling. It's been nice to be able to play with him."

Domi picked up a goal and an assist on Monday. He's recorded four points in the last four games.

"He's just had so much bounce and energy, and he just makes so many plays," Matthews said. "I still get amazed sometimes when he goes to make a pass that I'm not sure where he's trying to pass it to, and then it just ends up on somebody's tape."

Domi is up to six goals and 22 assists in 59 games this season. He's on pace for 36 points, which would be a drop from 47 last year.

All three members of Toronto's third line – Domi, McMann and Nick Robertson – scored on Monday night.

"They had the hound mentality in them," Berube said. "I thought that they all were skating, working, in the face of the other team, didn't give them time and space, and that was a key for their line."

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Robertson's night didn't start well as he was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after firing the puck at the Flames net after the whistle.

"I was kind of in between," Robertson explained. "I didn't hear the whistle. Obviously, I wouldn't have done it if I did, because I cost us a penalty. So, obviously, I don't want to be in the box."

The coach wasn't buying it.

"He said he never heard a whistle, but, I mean, I heard it," Berube said.

In the second period, Robertson took a high-sticking penalty while trying to forecheck in the offensive zone.

"You've got to be aware of your stick," said Berube. "We can't take those penalties."

The Flames appeared to score on the power play, but the goal was wiped out thanks to an offsides challenge.

"I'm thinking, 'Hopefully I get back in the box so I don't cost the team a goal,'" Robertson said of the lengthy review. "But usually when there's a coach's challenge I'm kind of confident because I've been on the opposite side of a coach's challenge so I know how it goes. So, thankfully our guys got it."

Robertson, who was a healthy scratch in two games last week, was briefly benched after the Leafs killed the penalty. When he got back on the ice, he eventually earned some redemption by scoring Toronto's third goal, which ended up being the game winner.

"Just stick to the game," the 23-year-old said of his mindset. "I try not to get too frazzled with little things that kind of are distracting. I can't do anything about it. So, I just got to move forward and do what I can."

"That's a credit to him growing as a player in this league," said McMann. "When you play more games you get more comfortable and understand that things can change so quick if you continue to work."

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McMann scored the Leafs sixth and final goal on Monday night.

"Definitely not an important goal, I guess, in the game, but it's something that always helps," he said. "Helps the morale, helps the thought process, and makes you feel a little better coming to the rink and knowing you can definitely hit the back of the net still."

The goal snapped a 12-game drought for McMann, who had not scored since Feb. 6, which was before the 4 Nations break.

"It's nice to see it go in," he said. "Just trying to put something heavy on it and luckily it went in. So, yeah, I was happy."

McMann has a great shot, but Berube is quick to remind the 28-year-old that he can't simply reply on that.

"Get to the net more," the coach urged. "Get to the net more. He'll get more goals if he gets to the net more because he's a big body [6-foot-2, 215 pounds]. He's got good hands around the net. You're going to score goals like you did last night, but consistently that's not going to happen all the time. It's about the little things, getting to the net more, rebound chances, things like that. That's where he's going to get most of his goals."

Despite the recent dry spell, McMann is sixth on the team with 18 goals this season. That number is already a career high.

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The Leafs held a rare practice at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday, because it was the team's annual photo day.

"It's an honour to be part of the Leafs organization and being in that picture, it means a lot to me," said Berube, who's in his first year as the head coach.

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Lines at Tuesday's practice:

Knies - Matthews - Marner

Holmberg - Tavares - Nylander

McMann - Domi - Robertson

Lorentz - Laughton - Jarnkrok

Kampf

McCabe - Tanev

Rielly - Carlo

Benoit - Ekman-Larsson

Myers

Stolarz & Woll