Auston Matthews after the Leafs' loss in Nashville: "As sh*tty as it is losing, I thought the process was a lot better"

"I thought we had a better process tonight, honestly. I thought we had the puck more, made more plays, and allowed our forwards to come through the neutral ice a little bit more. We were making adjustments on the fly. It is not going to be perfect right away, but I thought our process was a lot better. I'd like that play back at the end of the second."

"We have to do a better job of getting shots through to the net and creating second and third chance opportunities - not just one-and-done opportunities. It is definitely something we can work on. It has been an issue throughout parts of the season. We definitely want to be a team that is outshooting the other team. We want to be able to sustain offensive-zone pressure, shoot, and get pucks back to create those second and third-chance opportunities."

"Mentally, we are fine. As shitty as it is losing, I thought the process was better. We had good energy all night. Even though you are leaving the rink upset about not getting any points from the game, the process we had throughout is something we can take and move forward with, knowing some of the good things we did and trying to channel that throughout a full 60."

Toronto displayed improved process and greater puck possession, enabling forwards to move through the neutral zone and allowing in-game adjustments. The team lost 5-3 after momentum shifted in the third, turning a 2-1 lead into a deficit and forcing a chasing effort. Generating second- and third-chance opportunities and getting more shots through traffic remain persistent problems that require attention. The squad maintained good energy and a stable mental state despite frustration from the result. The positive process from this game can be used to pursue consistency across a full 60 minutes.

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