Babcock's Message For Auston Matthews.

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April 10, 2019 (3:13 PM)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to get over the hump and get past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. To do so, the Leafs will have to get past the Boston Bruins who they lost a disappointing first round matchup to last year. Leafs superstar Auston Matthews received a lot of criticism last year as he was only able to register two points in seven games, one goal and one assist. Babcock was asked if he had a special message for him and said there's not much room this time of year for getting fancy. "I think the biggest thing is that there is going to be no room and no time and no space. The better player you are, the less there is going to be. You have to understand what the playoffs are about and what it is going to take to be successful. Our whole team has to. Early in the season, when we were fun to watch and it was racing around and there was tons of room, it is a lot of fun. Your sweater is flapping and it feels good. It's just not real. It is just not living in the real world. The real world is coming right away here. No time. No space."
Babcock added he feels Matthews is a bit more confident heading into this year's first round matchup. "100%. Number one, he is skating twice as good. He is more physical on offense. If you are a rush player, it is not as much fun at this time of year. Nothing much happens for you. His game has come a long way. You've got to remember he is just a young player in the league. You learn to play without the puck so you can have it more. You learn how to play and check it back. You learn what to do and when to do it. You just keep getting better. I mean, his best hockey is in front of him by far. In saying that, he has come a long way."

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