The Maple Leafs are struggling to find their footing after the Olympic break, dropping their second straight game in a rough 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.
Three first-period Panthers goals set the tone early, leaving Toronto playing catch-up all night.
Team captain Auston Matthews faced reporters after the game, trying to make sense of what’s going wrong.
"I didn’t think we had the same level of urgency and detail that they had," Matthews said. The 28-year-old star looked frustrated as he broke down the team’s performance.
It’s been a tough stretch for Toronto, who’ve been outscored 9-3 in their two games since returning to NHL action.
Matthews tried to find some positives in the later periods. "We competed hard and played much better, but it’s hard to dig yourself out of a hole against a team that defends really well."
But there’s a disconnect between Matthews’ words and what’s happening on the ice. The fresh Olympic gold medalist talked about needing "more desperation, some more fire" – yet his team keeps falling behind early.
Just weeks ago, Matthews was on top of the world, leading Team USA to historic Olympic gold in Milan. But the NHL is a different beast, and that Olympic magic hasn’t followed him back to Toronto.
The Mexican-American forward needs to do more than just talk about problems – he needs to solve them. As captain, his leadership isn’t translating into better play from his teammates.
"We need to turn it into a full 60-minute effort," Matthews added.
Right now, those full efforts are nowhere to be found. And while Olympic glory is sweet, the Maple Leafs need their captain to help them rediscover their winning ways – fast.
