Matthews talks about his team's mediocre start, has a message for fans
The Leafs are off to a middling start this season. They've won games against the Capitals and Senators, but lost to both Arizona and Montreal, the 31st and 32nd place teams from last season. Monday's effort against the Coyotes was, well, pitiful. In a game where the Leafs should have thoroughly trounced their opponents, they failed to turn puck possession into any sort of offence for all but the last 10 minutes of the game. The Leafs did manage to tie the game momentarily in the last minute, but a controversial review negated to goal due to a hand pass.
After 6 straight first round exits, the Leafs don't have a whole lot of leash with the fans. Seeing the team struggle against a bottom feeder like the Coyotes caused quite the uproar, and coach Sheldon Keefe had some strong words for his top players in his post game media scrum. Today, Matthews addressed the media and attempted to calm the storm that has been brewing in Leafs Nation while acknowledging the fact that the Leafs haven't been clicking to start the season. His message seemed to be clear. It's far too early to panic.
Matthews was also slow out of the gate last season before going on a run that saw him score 51 goals in 50 games en route to a second straight Rocket Richard trophy. I think it's fair for him to say that it's too early to panic. I also think if things don't start clicking soon, they'll have to adjust either their strategy or line combinations. Games like Monday can seem inconsequential, but in an ultra competitive division, they can be the difference between home ice advantage and starting on the road against an elite team.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 20 | 177 ANSWERS Matthews talks about his team's mediocre start, has a message for fans Is it as Matthews says - too early to panic about the Leafs' start? | ||
| Yes | 145 | 81.9 % |
| No | 32 | 18.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
