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Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews Opens Up About His Early Season Scoring Drought

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Dean Chaudhry
October 14, 2024 (3:36 PM)

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Toronto Maple Leafs' forward Auston Matthews celebrating a goal being scored against the Florida Panthers.

Photo credit: Dan Hamilton - USA Today Sports

Auston Matthews rarely goes 3 games without a goal and the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs is confident that the floodgates will open in due time.

Arguably the most prolific goal scorer in the NHL today, Matthews has had an uncharacteristic start to the 2024-25 campaign as he enters Wednesday's contest against the Los Angeles Kings with 0 goals and 0 points in 3 games.

It's not for a lack of trying either, as the captain of the Maple Leafs has 15 shots on goal, which includes 6 shots in their season opener and 8 in their most recent victory against Pittsburgh. Throughout his career, he's been relatively on point to start his seasons as evidenced by his back to back hat-tricks to start the 2023-24 campaign and his 4-goal NHL debut in 2016-17.

However the 3-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner is not fazed or concerned by the drought and believes it's only a matter of time before he starts celebrating again:

"Yeah, I mean, I think the chances are there," Matthews said Monday. "I think it's just a matter of time. We were playing hockey, we were winning, so that's the most important part, and you know that those chances will eventually fall and get going from there."

As Evan Doerfler of The Hockey News points out as well, Matthews has been rather unlucky to start the year while hitting a few posts and holding a team-high expected goals value of 2.2. The chances are there, the dangerous opportunities are being created, it's just the goaltenders are finding a way - for the time being.

"Yeah, I think it's nice to get the first one to get going sometimes, but you take what you get and what the game gives you sometimes, and I think we just continue to play the right way, continue to generate chances. Like I said, it's going to go in eventually, and then that's going to get on a roll," Matthews said.

With 368 goals to his name in just 565 career contests, Matthews knows it's only a matter of time. He's gone through mini slumps before and has still found a way to top 60 goals twice in the last 3 years and has never had a season below 34 goals scored - and that was in just 62 games.

With a lot more pressure and responsibility on his shoulders now with the "C" embroidered on his jersey, Matthews is more concerned with the team play than individual stats at the moment.

"I like a lot of what we're doing as a team. I mean, I think we're playing really sound hockey all throughout our line-up, and that's the most important thing."

His next opportunity to break out of this goose egg will come on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings, a team in which he has collected 4 goals and 9 points in 13 career contests.

Previously on MapleLeafsDaily

Maple Leafs Provide Highly Anticipated Update Regarding Injured Goalie Joseph Woll

Craig Berube Reveals When Timothy Liljegren May Return to the Leafs' Lineup

Maple Leafs to Make a Key Lineup Change for Wednesday's Matchup Against the Kings

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