Multiple Maple Leafs Back Auston Matthews' Claims About a Quiet Scotiabank Arena
Multiple members of the Maple Leafs have doubled down on Auston Matthews' initial comments about the Scotiabank Arena lacking energy after Ryan Reaves' fight.
After last night's 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews commented on Ryan Reaves' first fight of the season and how it sparked the bench but didn't seem to have the same effect on the fans.
"It was great. It's still a big part of the game and he's a big part of this team. You love to see that. Would've liked a little more energy from the crowd after that. I thought it was a little quiet tonight, especially after two guys like that go at it. It was a great moment for (Reaves). I thought it gave us some energy on the bench."
It was certainly a risky position to take, considering fellow teammates William Nylander and Mitch Marner had called out the fans not too long ago for the booing they received during their previous home-stand, and were eviscerated for it.
While Matthews' remarks about a sleepy crowd weren't a popular take with the Leafs faithful, several teammates stood by their captain and doubled down on the lack of energy, including Steven Lorentz and Joseph Woll, as reported by Nick Barden of The Hockey News:
"Every building can be quiet at times," said Lorentz. "Every building can be loud at times. And it doesn't matter when you're on the road, at home. Energy's energy. So the louder the building is, the more guys get up for it. That being said, again, it can be quiet at times when you're going through a little rough patch here. But when the building gets rocking, like I said, they could be booing you at an away rink or it could be your home fans trying to lift the spirits. We feed off that energy."
Lorentz would also add:
"He's our captain. We look up to him. We follow him into battle and what he says, we're right there with him. Again, it's one of those things that, it might've just been a lapse in the game yesterday and we weren't playing our best hockey at some points. We really rely on that energy from the crowd."
Woll attempted to soften the blow a little by praising the fans for their support and being the best in the league. However, he reiterated that their energy can affect the way they play, especially when it's loud and lively:
"I think the important thing is that we know we have probably the most extensive fan base in hockey and probably across a lot of sports as well. We love our fans and we feel their support, in Scotiabank and on the road. There's places where we'll have more fans than the other team, in like Buffalo. I think what's important is that we love our fans and we love when they're loud and they're rocking. That energy is special for us."
It's safe to say that the Leafs are very observant of how the fanbase reacts and would love nothing more than a raucous crowd night-in and night-out. However, when they deliver stinkers like they did last night, it's kind of hard to keep the energy going.
At the very least, it's nice to see the team rallying around their captain and it will be interesting to see the crowd's reaction during their next home game, which is scheduled for the 29th of January against the Minnesota Wild.
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