Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner Still Trying to Get Even-Strength Offense Going: 'It Feels A Little Bit Disconnected At Times'
Toronto's top duo have yet to generate much offense at 5-on-5 over the last four games.
DALLAS — When Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are on their game, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a challenging force for the opposing team. But over the course of the last four games, the duo have yet connect offensively at even strength.
It hasn't gone unnoticed from their head coach.
"I wouldn't say it's executing at the level that that we've come to expect from them," Sheldon Keefe said following the team's morning skate ahead of their game against the Dallas Stars. "It's early but I just think that some of the passing in particular, just hasn't quite been crisp and sharp and execution hasn't been hasn't been happening."
Matthews has one even-strength assists over his last four games and Marner has no points in that stretch.
"It feels a little bit disconnected at times but I think there’s also some really good moments that we’ve had," Matthews explained. "I think we just want to have more overall consistency at 5-on-5, it’s important. We’re just going to continue to work and continue to try and bring that."
The Maple Leafs have shuffled up the lines over the last four games that have had some effect on Toronto's top players. Matthews and Marner have seen Tyler Bertuzzi, rookie Matthews Knies play on their wing. Over the last couple of games, it's been Calle Jarnkrok tasked with skating with them that may have let to some of that disconnection.
"Yeah probably," Marner admitted. 'We've gone through quite a bit of players on our left side. Every guys brings a little different (game). It is pretty quick to adjust to them once you do get a feel for them. But we just haven’t got a full feel with one of them yet. We’ll see."
Perhaps it comes down to the early-season thing where everyone is trying to find their chemistry?
"We’ve come to expect such a high level of execution for those guys that when plays are breaking up or not quite connecting that you think it’s just early-season timing and stuff like that," Keefe acknlowed. "We’ll continue to work with them and give those guys time because they still have been good. It’s just that there’s another level for them that they haven’t gotten to yet."
Matthews has averaged over 23 minutes of ice time in six games and has added penalty-killing to his workload. Keefe acknowledged he's like what the players have done from a defensive standpoint. But it's clear in some of these games he feels the offense is lacking.
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