‘I Think It’s Just A Matter Of Time’: Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews Not Concerned About Being Held Scoreless Through 3 Games
Matthews has yet to record his first point of the 2024-25 season despite recording 15 shots through three games and holding a team-high expected goal value of 2.2.
Three games into the 2024-25 season, Auston Matthews has yet to find the back of the net or find the scoresheet, but the Toronto Maple Leafs captain isn't sweating the slow start. Matthews is confident that the goals will start to come despite the quiet start and is instead focused on the team’s early success believing it’s only a matter of time before his scoring touch returns.
“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.”
With 15 shots through the first three games, Matthews has had his looks – dinging numerous posts and failing to capitalize on breakaway opportunities. Still, his confidence hasn’t seemed to waver, and the slow start feels different from former mid-season scoring droughts, but he knows from experience that one goal can open the floodgates.
Besides, according to moneypuck.com, Matthews holds a team-high expected goals value of 2.2, putting himself in good positions to score and getting high-danger chances from prime shooting areas. Matthews might just need one goal to break the ice, and production could follow quickly. When looking at his linemates, Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner, they only recorded their first points on Saturday.
“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.
Alternatively, Matthews likes what he has seen from a team standpoint. “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.” The Leafs sit atop the Atlantic Division with a 2-1-0 record and an 8-5 goal differential and he seems more concerned at maintaining that momentum than racking up personal stats.
When asked about the 0-for-9 power play, Matthews was equally patient, seeing it as a work in progress.
“I think the more repetitions we get, the more that we just commit to working off the puck, being in good positions, simplifying different things, and just attacking them more often. Same kind of thing.”
Eventually, it’s going to go in. That’s the mentality Matthews has, clearly not dwelling on the missed chances but rather the strong habits that will lead to consistent production sooner rather than later.
The Leafs’ next opponent is the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday who have surrendered just one powerplay goal through three games.
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