"Matthews was named captain of the United States shortly before the tournament began, tasked with leading his country to their first gold medal in the men's event since 1980. After fighting through a lingering upper-body injury for the better part of two years, the Olympics were posed both as an opportunity for Matthews to reclaim his status as one of the world's best players, and a larger window into his wherewithal to show up on the largest stages."
"Matthews was tied for fifth at the end of the preliminary round, recording three goals and five points in three games. The 28-year-old is dominating in all facets of the game, and he's showing up outside of the scoresheet as well. Mike Kelly of the NHL Network tracked Matthews' stats, where the Maple Leafs' captain ranks seventh in puck battle wins, third in slot shots, eighth in slot passes and first in expected goals."
Auston Matthews leads the United States as captain at the Olympic men's hockey tournament, aiming to end the country's gold-medal drought since 1980. He fought through a lingering upper-body injury for nearly two years before the Games. Through the preliminary round he recorded three goals and five points in three games and ranked highly in advanced metrics. Matthews ranks among the tournament leaders in puck battle wins, slot shots, slot passes and expected goals. He creates chances for wingers Jake Guentzel and Matt Boldy and has shown improved lateral quickness and explosion since midseason.
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