Seattle Kraken Host Matthews & Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday At CPA
Do yourself a favor when the Seattle Kraken host the Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday at Climate Pledge Arena. Devote some time isolating your gaze on #34 in white, Auston Matthews.
The 2016 #1 overall draft choice, now in his 8th season with the Leafs, has never scored fewer than 34 goals. Two years ago, Matthews exploded for 60 goals, among just 22 players in NHL history to reach that mark.
This season, he may surpass it.
Matthews comes into his annual Seattle appearance leading the NHL with 37 goals in 43 games.
He began the season scoring back-to-back hat tricks against Minnesota and Montreal, and hasn't cooled off. The center, who grew up in suburban Phoenix, has four total 3-goal games, and eight 2-goal efforts.
He didn't score when the Kraken visited Toronto Nov. 30, but did contribute 2 assists in the Maple Leafs' 4-3 shootout victory.
Another indicator of Matthews' star power - he's been named captain of one of the four teams which will compete at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game Feb. 3 in Toronto.
Cujo's Comments
Naturally, Kraken coach Dave Hakstol and staff will be game-planning for Matthews, but surely would welcome suggestions from any reputable source.
One person worth listening to is former NHL goalie Curtis Joseph. Four seasons of Joseph's 943-game career were spent in Toronto, where the man nicknamed "Cujo" produced yearly win totals of 35-36-33-29.
The Toronto Sun relayed Cujo's advice on containing Matthews.
“You have to over-play them. I’d be telling my defense, 'Just don’t let him shoot.' I used to say that about Jaromir Jagr, ‘Hey, just cover him. I have a better chance stopping everybody else. Just stay on his back.'
“So, when I see him get open and Mitch Marner fires one over to him, I say, ‘Ha, ha, how can they not cover this guy? How do you not know where he is?’ That’s how you win, cover the best players.”
