Maple Leafs forward Max Domi issued some comments on his captain, Auston Matthews, on Monday after their win over the Flames that are drawing some attention.
Auston Matthews needed a big game on Monday. Not only for himself, but to help propel his team out of the depths they had reached in recent weeks.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were blessed with what looked like a vintage performance after the captain notched 2 power play goals and added an assist to cap off a massive 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames.
His performance was not lost on any one of his teammates or coaching staff as evidenced by Craig Berube's post game comments as well as Max Domi steering the bandwagon with a series of compliments that should get any fan fired up:
'He's the man, honestly. He battles through, he's probably the hardest working guy I've ever played with in my whole career and I've played with a lot of guys. He's driving the bus for sure. It's tough not to jump on board with a guy that as talented as he is, you see him tracking back and turning pucks over and stripping guys and taking guys 1-on-3 down low and coming out with the puck somehow. The goal scoring speaks for itself, but it's all the other stuff and how he handles himself in here. Like I said, he's driving the bus and I've said it from day 1, he's my favourite player to watch and my favourite player to play with and best player in the world.'
Domi's comments come during a time in which many have questioned the Maple Leafs as a whole, but primarily the core players - once again. They became the subject of a lot of scrutiny during their recent skid where they lost 5 of 6 games before last night's victory.
Matthews' goal scoring has dropped off considerably this year with just 26 goals through 52 games after notching 69 last year and 60 in 2021-22. He's dealt with a couple of upper-body injuries along the way, but his scoring has also taken a hit because he's evolving his game and becoming more of a two-way centre.
He's no longer the one-dimensional sharp shooter that people perceived him to be when he was drafted and a lot of his teammates have taken notice of his work ethic. Berube has relentlessly backed his captain all year and has always made a point to mention his work against the opposition's best on a nightly basis.
When Matthews is leading the charge the Maple Leafs are in good hands. Domi's comments shine a light on how the rest of the team looks up to their leader and how important he is to the success and betterment of the franchise for the present and the future.
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