The Maple Leafs are 48-26-5 without Auston Matthews and nobody in Toronto wants to talk about it
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a positive record without Auston Matthews, driving debate among fans over what it means.
The Leafs have a surprising 48-26-5 record without captain Auston Matthews in the lineup, a record that questions how the team manages to perform so well with their leader out.
This record, a .639 win percentage, happens to be higher than the Leafs win record with Matthews in the lineup, 389-215-85, or a .623 win percentage, according to StatMuse.
Toronto has won two of their last three games since Matthews was injured against the Anaheim Ducks, a far cry from their eight game losing streak prior in which Matthews was struggling to find the net.
However, Matthews isn't the only one of the Leafs stars who, in their absence, the rest of the team manages to step up and perform.
Without William Nylander in the Leafs lineup, Toronto's record is 32-17-5 all-time. Their record without John Tavares is 14-5-2. Without former Leaf Mitch Marner? A less impressive 21-17-5.
The Leafs have played with more emotion in three games without Matthews than they showed with him
The Toronto Maple Leafs have played better with Auston Matthews out of the lineup than they had since returning from the Olympic break, but is it Matthews' fault?
One reason Toronto may succeed without Matthews? A desire to play heavier and harder without their captain, knowing the necessity of stepping up.
When Matthews went down with injury against Anaheim, the Leafs had a physical third period that they hadn't shown in the first two periods before Matthews got hurt.
Largely, it's been a team effort to be as subpar as they have been, but Matthews does hold some major blame for the Leafs losing up until the time of his injury.
Matthews went on a 12-game goalless streak, and in that time Toronto went 3-7-2. Prior to his last goal before the cold stretch, Matthews had a three game losing streak, and lost all three games.
The Leafs are 16-4-3 on the season when Matthews scores a goal. In goalless games, a record of 10-21-6. Those are the numbers that speak for themselves.
Additionally, his goal played a big part in the win against Anaheim. It's not that Matthews is not a winner, the Olympics proved otherwise, but that Matthews' ability to win is largely attainable through him being able to score.
The next two months will decide whether this team was held back by pressure or held together by one player
The Leafs and fans now get a glimpse of life without Auston Matthews. But even if they're winning, is it a future that anyone wants to see happen?
Some fans are going to say that the Leafs play without Auston Matthews is proof that they don't need him. That's not an argument that's all too convincing.
The most negative reading that can be given to those stats is that the Leafs can perform without Matthews. But that doesn't mean this is a roster that, without Matthews, has a better chance at contention.
A more positive idea, the Leafs play harder with Matthews out of the lineup trying to make up for their captain. This would seem more likely. Of course, Toronto has never played bad with Matthews in the lineup either.
Although Auston Matthews has been far from his 69-goal self, the Toronto Maple Leafs overall lack a player of Matthews' caliber, and if teams want a replacement, there's still only few players better than the Leafs captain, and most being not for sale.
If the Leafs were to decide that they play better with Auston Matthews and deal him, any sort of transition would have to ensure a physical Leafs roster able to consistently score.
From where it stands, the debate about whether Toronto needs Auston Matthews ends the moment you look at the numbers.
The question was never whether they can survive without him - it's whether they deserve to keep him.
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Previously on Hockey Patrol
| POLL | ||
MARS 17|709 ANSWERS The Maple Leafs are 48-26-5 without Auston Matthews and nobody in Toronto wants to talk about it Is Auston Matthews the reason for Toronto playing so well without him? | ||
| Yes | 416 | 58.7 % |
| No | 293 | 41.3 % |
| List of polls | ||