HE’S NOT AUSTONISHED
Leafs rookie not getting wrapped up in his accomplishements, but his team’s . . .
BUFFALO— Six floors above a parking garage near the Sabres’ KeyBank Center, Auston Matthews was still under an intense spotlight.
The Leafs and Matthews were having an off-ice workout Sunday, prior to their road game against the Sabres on Monday night. They worked out in this somewhat unique setting, a series of ice pads located on the sixth floor of the HarborCenter, a hotel and restaurant and rink complex atop the parking spaces in downtown Buffalo.
For Matthews, the rink was like any other, the day like any other. He has managed this incredible season of breaking Leafs rookie records with professionalism, always sticking to team-first ideals, so there’s no room to allow one day to stand out for personal reasons.
Even the captain question is met with the same approach. Most observers think Matthews will be named the next Leafs captain next season, but it is a topic to be deflected at the moment.
“Not at all, just playing hockey, never been on my mind,” Matthews said Sunday.
The attention the No. 1 pick is receiving now is warranted.
At 19, he has either broken or is about to break 10 Leafs records and historic accomplishments. He has more goals (38) than any Leafs rookie, more goals than Phil Kessel managed in any of his six seasons as a Leaf, and the most goals by a Leaf since Mats Sundin had 41in 2001-02. It seems the only mark he hasn’t surpassed is Wendel Clark’s rookie record for even-strength goals (they’re tied at 30 each).
Of course there are others. Mitch Marner has the Leafs’ rookie mark for assists; William Nylander has set the rookie standard for consecutive games with a point; Connor Brown, Zach Hyman and Nikita Zaitsev have all impressed.
Leafs coach Mike Babcock noted that one of the keys for his young stars is that they’ve learned how to push through slumps. In Matthews’ case, it is easy to forget that he has had two big ones (a 13-game goalless drought earlier this season, and a seven-game stretch more recently).
“He’s got incredible determination,” Babcock said.
Matthews has responded to his latest slide with seven goals in eight games, helping the Leafs go 6-1-1. To- ronto and Ottawa are one point back of second-place Boston in the Atlantic Division, with two games in hand on the Bruins.
“(Matthews has) had some times when it didn’t go for him, and like a lot of scorers, he pushes, he pushes through,” Babcock said. “In life there’s moments of doubt, you have to push through for a presentation and other things. That’s part of life, and he has that determination, he wants to be good, he’s way more aware of his own zone, he’s just a better player.”
Babcock, like his star pupil, won’t even blink an eye at the captain ques- tion. The focus is on the playoffs, and the Leafs have a tough season-closing run of five games in seven nights.
By this time next week, they’ll know for sure if their run was enough a playoff berth.
Matthews is trying to stay focussed on the present and playing the game the right way.
“Defensively, that’s the main part,” he said, when asked what has led to his incredible season. “For sure, from the coaching staff, it’s what they wanted me to improve on. If you play the right way, and having the puck more in your zone, you’ll have it more on offence.”
It’s that kind of balanced approach that has helped the whole team grow in confidence. And have a little fun.
They cheered each other on Sunday as they kicked around a soccer ball together. Matthews himself was clapping his hands, urging his teammates to keep up the pace and the enthusiasm.
“We’re in a good place and I think we’ve been all year,” Matthews said, before Boston leapfrogged the Leafs in the standings. “At this point, we’re in a good spot (in the standings), and we don’t want to tense up. We want to do what we’ve been doing, playing hockey and having fun.”