A new focus for an old problem
Leafs return from bye week refreshed, and vowing to pay special attention to defence
Auston Matthews and his Maple Leafs teammates say they will tighten up defensively as they head into the post-break schedule, where they expect increased checking and intensity from their opposition over the final 37 games of the season.
Matthews and his teammates met with the coaching staff Monday in their first practice after the break, and the message was clear: renew the focus on defence or risk dropping out of the team’s current fourth-place standing in the Eastern Conference.
“I think everyone felt good to get that mental break,” Matthews said Monday as the Leafs reconvened on the ice in advance of a visit from the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. “We’re happy with the position we’re in (in the standings), but we know a lot can change.”
Things have changed in the last month. They were second in the East on Dec. 15 but have gone 5-4-2 since then, allowing Washington and redhot Boston to pass them. But they should be recharged after their annual bye week.
Matthews joined defenceman Morgan Rielly and goaltender Frederik Andersen on a trip to the Bahamas, where they didn’t touch a puck for four days.
“We just relaxed, we hung out down there but the weather wasn’t great,” said Matthews, who was making his first visit to the Bahamas. “But it was nice to get away.”
Matthews was like every other Leafs player, returning to Toronto by Sunday afternoon rather than risking potential travel delays with the winter.
The players met with the coaching staff Monday morning, where the message about expectations and team focus was renewed, then hit the ice at 4 p.m., the earliest time allowed after a break dictated by the collective bargaining agreement.
“This group knows we have to be better,” said Rielly, referring in part to the two consecutive losses prior to the break, where the Leafs either blew leads or gave up two goals during short, defensive breakdowns or through a rash of poor puck decisions.
“It was nice to have time to reflect on our first half, but we know we have to take steps to get better. We’ve been talking about it and we believe we are capable of it. But it’s one thing to believe in it, the other thing is to go out and do it.”
The Leafs certainly have a lighter schedule over the second half of the season, but they will be put to the test immediately with six games in 10 nights out of the break.
Head coach Mike Babcock warned last week that his club could slip into an ineffective state where they could disappoint in the standings. On Monday, he told his team it has been merely .500 since Christmas, so the focus is to get back to consistent structure and intensity.
“We got six games in the next 10 nights before another break (the NHL all-star game),” Babcock said. “So we definitely need to get focused. Since Christmas, we’re .500 so we talked about that, addressed our needs, so let’s go out and play now.”
Matthews will welcome the “get better” challenge of the second half, all while playing under an increasingly intense media spotlight. After winning the rookie of the year award last season, he’s proven fully capable of handling all forms of pressure. Despite missing 10 games with a back injury and a concussion, Matthews has exceeded his scoring pace from a year ago. He has 19 goals and 33 points in 35 games, up from 18 and 31 in his first 35 last year.
But the 20-year-old, who will be appearing in his second consecutive all-star game at the end of this month, hardly takes anything for granted, even his own conditioning after the break.
“A lot of guys felt good out there today (in practice),” Matthews said. “I didn’t touch a puck for four days, so it takes a bit to get that back. The 40- to 60-game mark is a grind (the Leafs have played 45), so it was good to get away for a bit.”