The 2016 first overall pick has been the Leafs' best player since he entered the league. As he goes, the Leafs go. It's no coincidence that Matthews' slow start to the season coincided with a subpar start for the Leafs. His struggles in the 2021 playoff series against the Habs is further evidence of that.
When the calendar flipped to November however, Matthews and the Leafs caught fire. Since the start of November no team in the NHL has been able to keep up, and no player in the NHL has scored as many goals as Auston Matthews' 20 in 21 games.
The discourse in the off season was that Matthews, and by extension, Marner, weren't able to score in the playoffs. With Matthews scoring the type of goals he has been, it looks like he's adjusting his game to be more effective in the post season. If he is able to take this level of production into the post season, we may finally see the Leafs make a run in the playoffs.