Auston Matthews and a critical flaw that's costing the Maple Leafs

"The Toronto Maple Leafs are suddenly facing a problem in an area that once set them apart. A power play that used to be one of the league's most dangerous has slipped into a costly weakness, draining momentum and valuable points from the standings. At the center of the struggle is Auston Matthews, whose lack of production with the man advantage has become as surprising as it is damaging."

"During the Leafs' recent 2-1 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto was unsuccessful on three power play opportunities. It was the continuation of an ugly trend. Over their last 11 games, the Maple Leafs are an abysmal 2-for-25 on the power play. Even worse than that futility, the power play has become non-threatening. It could barely register a shot on goal against the Canadiens. In a game that went to a shootout, an opportune power-play contribution could have changed the outcome."

"The Leafs' power-play efficiency has plummeted to 14.1%, third-worst in the NHL. Almost thirty games into the season, it is not a small sample size. Toronto's power play has regressed in recent seasons. It was the 12th-best last season, 9th during 2023-24, and 5th in 2022-23. This is after multiple successive seasons as a top-three unit. At the center of the Maple Leafs' ineptness on the power play is Auston Matthews, the team's best goal scorer. He has scored one power-play goal this season."

The Toronto Maple Leafs' power play has fallen from an elite unit to a significant liability, now operating at 14.1% efficiency, the third-worst in the NHL. The unit has gone 2-for-25 over the last 11 games and struggled to generate shots, exemplified by a 2-1 shootout loss to Montreal where Toronto failed on three power-play chances. The decline follows recent regression from top rankings in prior seasons (5th in 2022-23, 9th in 2023-24, 12th last season). Auston Matthews has scored just one power-play goal, and recent gains in standings have relied on depth scoring and goaltending rather than special teams. Reigniting the power play is necessary to stabilize the season and sustain the climb in the standings.

Read at editorinleaf.com