During his media availability before his Toronto Maple Leafs faced the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, Leafs' coach Craig Berube discussed what he liked about his captain's recent performance.
Berube observed that over the past week, Matthews had an "attack mentality", was "getting pucks to the middle of the ice", and had more "oomph" on his shots. The signs were there that the NHL's best goal scorer of the past decade was beginning to find his groove.
The coach's words turned out to be an accurate bit of foreshadowing. Matthews' fingerprints were all over the Maple Leafs' 6-5 comeback victory over Winnipeg, and it gave Toronto points in five consecutive games, four of them wins, as they try to climb their way back into the Atlantic Division race and a playoff position.
News came before the game that Matthews would return to the ice against the Jets after sitting out one game after blocking a shot against the Detroit Red Wings. His dominance throughout this game was the best possible news for the Leafs.
Matthews' Powers Leafs' Feel-Good Comeback Win
Toronto was coming off what many believed to be their most complete game of the season, a 4-0 win over the New Jersey Devils. Both Matthews and William Nylander missed the game due to injury, but the Maple Leafs delivered an inspiring, emotional victory.
Initially, the good vibes did not carry over into the game versus the Jets. The Leafs trailed 2-0 after one period, and Matthews played a big role in both goals against. First, he made a bad line change, and Winnipeg's quick neutral zone transition resulted in a goal from Gabe Vilardi. On the Jets' second goal, it was Matthews' stick that redirected Dylan DeMelo's point shot past Leafs' goaltender Joseph Woll.
The Maple Leafs and Matthews' fortunes turned for the better during the second period. The Leafs' centre's defensive awareness started a Toronto transition up ice. Matthews made a give-and-go in the neutral zone with winger Max Domi and drove the net for a gorgeous tip-in.
Just before period two ended, the Leafs' sniper took a pass from Morgan Rielly and ripped one of his patented curl-and-drag wrist shots to beat Jets' goalie Eric Comrie and bring Toronto within a goal heading to the third period.
For Matthews, it was just his second multi-goal game of the season in thirty-four games. He only had three such games in all of 2024-25. Matthews added an assist on Troy Stecher's goal that tied the game 5-5 with just under seven minutes left in the third period.
The final piece to the three-time Rocket Richard winner's commanding effort was netting the game-winner to complete the hat-trick with less than five minutes left in the game. Easton Cowan pressured Comrie on the forecheck and forced the Jets' goaltender to cough up the puck to a waiting Matthews, who easily deposited it into a yawning cage on the backhand.
Over his last three games, Matthews now has eight points on four goals and four assists, with nineteen shots on net. The Leafs and their fans should be thrilled with how their captain's game is trending and his masterful performance against the Jets.
In the end, the result mattered, but the way the Maple Leafs got there mattered even more. Matthews didn't just help erase a deficit; he looked like the player Toronto has built around, dictating the game and lifting those around him as the comeback took shape. He did it all with a smile that grew bigger and bigger as the game progressed, suggesting that a burden was being lifted.
For a team searching for consistency, seeing its best player return to his next-level standard is the best possible news. If Matthews' dominant form is truly back, the Leafs have every reason to believe they can keep the good times rolling and continue to climb the standings in the weeks ahead.