Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has been off to a slow start compared to his lofty standards, with just five goals and six assists in 13 games this season. But at the end of the day, he's still Auston Matthews.
But somehow, the Toronto Maple Leafs have gone 6-1 since he went down with injury, and are 41-20-2 without him in the lineup since he joined the team in 2016, including going 2-0 in the playoffs last year.
The Leafs have been on a heater recently, and all without their best player. But why?
While I can't pinpoint the exact reason, (maybe the boys are just dialled in) there are a few notable reasons why the Leafs are on the winning streak they are.
How are the Toronto Maple Leafs Winning So Much Without Auston Matthews?
1. Vezina-calibre goaltending
Both Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll (who recorded a shutout on Wednesday) have been great for the Leafs so far this year. While neither of them have been a starter in the NHL, the Leafs hoped both of their strong play together would form one of best tandems in the league.
And oh boy, have they ever.
Both goalies are top-10 in the NHL in SV% and GAA (goalies with at least five games played). Stolarz especially has been a popular name thrown around in Vezina Trophy talks, as he's done a remarkable job taking over the 1A role in the goalie tandem.
2. Big names stepping up
With Auston Matthews out, the "core-three" have done an admiral job of stepping up in his place. Mitch Marner looks like the superstar Leafs fans are used to, William Nylander hasn't missed a beat since his breakout season last year, and John Tavares looks like his former self.
In the seven games without Matthews, Marner has registered four goals and 14 points, Nylander has scored four goals and nine points, and Tavares has four goals and eight points.
Not too shabby.
3. Special teams look figured out
The Leafs notoriously could not score a power play goal for their life in the early parts of the season, but recently, they've finally figured it out. In the seven games without Matthews, the Leafs have gone 9/25 on the power play, good for an impressive 36% efficiency rate.
Along with their 7th-ranked penalty kill in the league, the Leafs special teams are finally back on track, and if they can keep it up, they'll be a forced to be reckoned with.
The Leafs are playing some of their best hockey of the season without Matthews in the lineup, and whether it's luck or if the guys are just stepping up, the team is getting valuable points in the standings.
The Leafs have a small one point lead over the Florida Panthers for first place in the Atlantic division, and they'll look to keep up their impressive streak on Sunday night when they face off against Utah.