The Toronto Maple Leafs fall further down the NHL standings, following a 4-3 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday. The Maple Leafs now sit eight points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild card spot and sit 13th in the Eastern Conference. After the loss, Craig Berube had concerning comments regarding Auston Matthews' recent play.
Berube, when asked about Auston Matthews and not being able to find the back of the net in nine consecutive contests, mentioned, "I don’t see him forcing it. He is getting opportunities. It is tough. It is tough on him and tough on the team. We need him to produce. It is not like he isn’t getting his looks. They just aren’t going in right now." "He just has to stick with it. He does a lot of other good things in the game. It is not just about scoring. But he’ll come out of it. I have confidence in him. Sometimes, you just have to get a greasy goal around the net."
Urgency needed by the Toronto Maple Leafs
Craig Berube understands the urgency of this time of year, and having your top scorer not acting as one is tough for the entirety of the lineup. The Maple Leafs were short-handed as well heading into the lineup, as Brad Treliving decided to hold out Bobby McMann, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Scott Laughton for trade reasons. Berube spoke on this topic post-game, adding,
"It does. It’s tough. We want to win games. When you come to the rink, and three important players aren’t in the lineup, it is going to impact the guys. But I thought the guys came out and were ready to play, which is important. I thought our captain led the way in that department. He worked and competed. But it is tough, for sure."
The Maple Leafs need Auston Matthews to be better
This was a game where the Maple Leafs needed Auston Matthews to step up and become a game-changer, which hasn't been seen since before the Olympic break. If you don't have your top players playing at a high level, especially for Toronto, it will be very difficult to compete in the NHL. In years prior, the Maple Leafs had Mitch Marner, who would be able to take over a game and be a difference maker, this season as the injuries have piled up, they simply haven't gotten that same production from either Auston Matthews or William Nylander.
As the Maple Leafs' playoff hopes fall to nearly zero, how they carry themselves for the remainder of the season will be in question. If the Leafs can fall to the bottom five in the NHL, they will have the opportunity to keep their first-round pick ahead of the NHL Draft. If the Maple Leafs want to win down the stretch, they will need Auston Matthews to be far more effective.