Maple Leafs' Comments About Nick Robertson Clearly Show What He Means to the Team
Nick Robertson was the center of attention for the Maple Leafs after busting out of a 12-game slump with a huge goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.
For several weeks, Robertson has really been fighting it, with his last point coming way back on October 22nd against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
There was a point in the day where we weren't quite sure whether or not Robertson would even play after he missed the morning skate in Tampa, as he typically always participates in the game day skate before playing.
Following the win in Tampa, Robertson revealed why he skipped the morning skate, which really seemed to work to his advantage.
Robertson may not have taken home the player of the game belt on Saturday, as that honour went to Matthew Knies, but there's no question who had the nicest goal of the evening, with Robertson wiring one past Andrei Vasilevskiy with the authority of a Rocket Richard Trophy caliber shot, up over the shoulder and under the bar like a true veteran.
Following the game, Robertson had tons of support from his teammates and his coach, as Joseph Woll, Auston Matthews and Craig Berube giving their teammate a pat on the back during the post-game media availabilities.
Auston Matthews knows about the pressures of scoring goals, and while he hasn't necessarily had to worry about too many 12-game slumps, he himself knows what it feels like when you're not scoring at the rate you know you're capable of sometimes. He was very supportive of Robertson after Saturday's win.
Craig Berube has been one of Robertson's biggest supporters in Toronto, applauding his work ethic even when he wasn't scoring. Naturally, the Leafs head coach was happy to see one drop for one of his hardest working players.
Now, having broken out of his slump, the hope is that Robertson can operate a little more smoothly with the monkey off of his back. He clearly has the shot, so he just needs to get himself into good spots and let it rip and the results will continue to come.
