Babcock mends fences with Matthews
Mike Babcock and Auston Matthews aren’t going to let questions on their alleged testy year-end departure linger into the summer.
Babcock will go or has already visited Matthews’ home in Scottsdale, Ariz., to make sure the coach and key player are on the same page before the Toronto Maple Leafs reconvene in September.
Whether Babcock was already in the southwest for other reasons or made a special trip, he wants to be proactive about improving relations with Matthews, according to a report Saturday by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on a Hockey Night in Canada intermission segment.
“The expectation is the two of them are going to talk or have talked this weekend as they try to air things out and fix things between them,” Friedman said.
Matthews was clearly in a foul mood as the Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins wrapped, having been limited to a goal and assist in the series.
Rumours circulated of discord between the two, which Matthews denied. Babcock said he went straight to his young star on locker-cleanout day after analyst Nick Kypreos suggested the coach had “lost” Matthews at season’s end.
It’s hardly a secret Babcock’s methods can grate on his players over the course of a season, especially in the second full year oftheyouthmovementwhenexpectations on all parties clearly increased. Yet the Leafs set many team and personal records and nothing negative was brought up until they were eliminated.
“I said (to Matthews), ‘What’s going on?’ ” Babcock told reporters at his final media briefing.
“Auston was pissed off in the third period and in the last 10 minutes of the game. I’m sure 23 other guys were the same.”
Babcock, who said hot-button speculative stories about his team aretrue“maybe12percentofthe time,” kept his comments on Matthews’ future positive.
He said Matthews’ parents put alotoftrustinhimandthestaffto steer the now-20-year-old through his first NHL years.
Babcock said Matthews’ frustration at being sat for a portion of Game 7 and being held in check by Boston was no different than the anger experienced by all Leafs after their big season failed to yield a series win.
Babcock said Matthews was unable to regain full skating form after a series of injuries cost him 20 games, though he had a good regular season finish and seemed ready for the playoffs.
“I try to push Auston to be better every day,” Babcock said. “I made it very clear to him (from the beginning), if I’m pushing him too hard to come into my office and tell me. Sometimes people snap (on the bench). So what? That’s the game. I asked him flat out, ‘Do we have any problem?’ He was sitting right there. We don’t seem to.”