It has not been the typical season for Auston Matthews. Through the first 20 games of the season, he only had 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points. While these numbers look decent, they are not the numbers we're used to seeing from him. However, since the beginning of December, Matthews has returned to the dominant player we expect him to be. Over the past 24 games, he has racked up 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points.
This turnaround has propelled the Maple Leafs up the standings and has put them back into playoff contention. However, the Leafs are not the only team that is happy that Matthews has seemingly turned a corner. Team USA should be excited and relieved that Matthews is getting hot right before the start of the Olympics. This should reinvigorate Team USA and their fans' hopes of winning a medal.
Auston Matthews seems set to be the main offensive weapon for the Maple Leafs
Going into the tournament, Team USA is seen as one of the favorites to win the Gold Medal. They currently have the second-best odds to win, only behind Canada. Now, this should not come as much of a surprise, considering their performance during the 4 Nations Faceoff. During that tournament, the Americans dominated, and while they came up short earned a lot of respect from the International Hockey community.
However, while many American fans have been anxiously awaiting revenge, questions remain about Team USA. Players like Matthew Tkachuk and Jaccob Salvin have missed a lot of time this season due to injuries. Vincent Trocheck and JT Miller have struggled this season and look like shells of their former selves. These are core pieces of the 4 Nations Roster. Without their contributions, the Americans would not have seen the finals.
The number of questions surrounding these players is concerning. Now, imagine on top of all these concerns came a struggling Matthews. That would turn Team USA into a Gold Medal contender, barely being able to make the Bronze Medal game. Sure, they still be physical, but they would struggle on offense and lose a lot of low-scoring games. It's an embarrassing follow-up to their 4 Nations performance.
But a Matthews playing up to his potential changes things for the Americans. Sure, the other problems do not go away, but Matthew is good enough to mask those problems. He can take over a game and be the guy everyone looks to when it comes to finishing offensive chances. There is also the chance that if the top line of the Tkachuk brothers struggles, they can move him up and help get the line going.
If Team USA has any hopes at making it to the Gold Medal game, Matthews will be a key component. A clutch Olympic performance can help him become a national hero in the States.