Craig Berube changes Auston Matthews' power-play role to fix one thing that's been missing
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has adjusted Auston Matthews' role on the man advantage as he tries to fix the one issue holding their power-play back.
It's been a bit of a mixed bag so far this season for Auston Matthews. While he has put up a respectable 14 points in 18 games, he's already dealt with injuries and hasn't looked like the 60-goal scorer we've come to admire.
Now that Matthews has returned from his recent injury absence, his focus is shifting back to producing consistently.
This is why Berube is trying to revive the game plan that previously worked on the power-play which has struggled this season as they sit 28th in the NHL with a 15% PP rate.
What Craig Berube actually said about changing Auston Matthews' power-play role
Berube explained that with Matthews back in the fold, he would like to see him take the reins like Mitch Marner did at the top of the zone and use his lethal shot to cause some havoc:
For me, it is about Matty getting the puck more on his stick and using his shot and ability up top to not only elude defenders but also use his shot and make plays to the flank. He has good quickness up there.
I liked the way it looked today in practice; that's practice, but we have to try to get something going here on the PP. We need our power-play to help us score goals.
I liked the way it looked today in practice; that's practice, but we have to try to get something going here on the PP. We need our power-play to help us score goals.
He continued, mentioning how he has some big and talented bodies in front of the opponent's goalie, but needed that needle-threader to get the puck on net like Marner did:
If you look at last year with Mitch, he put a lot of pucks into that area with Johnny and Kniesy at the net. We scored a lot of goals that way. Those guys have heavy sticks and can tip pucks. They are good around the net.
With Matthews' shot, he has more volume on it than Mitch's, but he can put pucks in there, sift them in there, and shoot them in there.
With Matthews' shot, he has more volume on it than Mitch's, but he can put pucks in there, sift them in there, and shoot them in there.
During Matthews' absence, Toronto adjusted by moving away from its five-forward look; a change Berube acknowledged when discussing why the unit needs a clearer identity.
What putting Matthews up top really changes for the Maple Leafs' power-play
Besides giving Matthews more opportunities to shoot up top, it prevents the typical approach where the captain waits for a one-timer or snap shot at the hash-marks.
This adjustment typically creates two common defensive responses across the league: either collapsing toward the crease or widening coverage up top, and it opens up more options depending on the situation.
The team just needs pucks on net, and a volume shooter like Matthews is the perfect opportunity to do just that. Plus, if his shot has improved over last year, then it could lead to more tips or deflected goals.
Toronto's still having issues with getting shots on net, and while they have been better; they have not been pestering opponents with shots.
Putting more touches through Matthews aligns with Toronto's need for shot production. So if Craig Berube wants to improve his power-play, he's gotta get more pucks on net.
Since Toronto's main issue remains shot volume, increasing Matthews' touches directly addresses that problem.
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