Auston Matthews comments on his goal of winning a Stanley Cup with the Leafs
For Auston Matthews, the first 6 seasons of his NHL career have been a whirlwind. On one hand, he has quickly become one of the most decorated Leafs of all time as far as individual achievements go. On the other hand, the routine postseason failures have taken their toll, as disappointment after disappointment have left some internal scars that are not quick to heal. However, for Matthews, the goal to win in Toronto remains at the forefront of his mind.
As far as the battle scars go, Auston himself stated this week at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas that he believes that it's all a part of the growth and a part of the bigger picture. He believes that the Leafs are "writing their own story" and that the best is yet to come.
-Matthews on his mindset after 4-3 series loss to Tampa in May
Matthews didn't have to look too hard to find examples of teams who had to endure the adversity and overcome it to realize their ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup. The last 3 Cup winners, the Tampa Bay Lightning (x2) and the Colorado Avalanche had both experienced the lowest of lows before turning their misfortunes into good fortune.
For Tampa, it was being swept by the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets in 2019. For the Colorado Avalanche, it was finishing near the bottom of the league just a few short seasons ago and drafting Cale Makar to help restructure their blueline. The Avs also stumbled in recent years in the postseason, losing series that they had every reason to win. Matthews isn't blind to the fact that both teams went through the same range of emotions that he is now only to come out of it stronger on the other side - and Champions.
-Matthews on his unwavering belief that the Leafs can get the job done in the postseason
It's all going to have to start with a strong training camp for the Leafs this coming week. Getting off to a good start and making the most of their exhibition schedule will set this team up for better fortunes in 2022-23. There will be a lot of new faces in the room, but all of them, I'm sure, are well aware of the pressure and the expectations placed upon this team. Moreover, I'm sure they're all motivated to help get this Leafs team over the hump and to end the narrative that they can't win when it matters.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 18 | 474 ANSWERS Auston Matthews comments on his goal of winning a Stanley Cup with the Leafs Will Auston Matthews eclipse the 60-goal mark again this season? | ||
| Yes | 358 | 75.5 % |
| No | 53 | 11.2 % |
| 60? He's going for 70! | 63 | 13.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
