"The Leafs were ready to throw in the towel, but managed to get a couple of punches back for good measure. But that hardly did anything to mask a reality. Connor McDavid went berserk, while Auston Matthews continued to fall flat. At this point, the only plausible explanation for Matthews' lack of impact on the ice injury. He's so good that despite an injury, he still scores goals and puts points up on the board."
"But he's not nearly at the same level he was once, and, frankly, the Leafs aren't going anywhere this season. So, the time has come for the Maple Leafs to just shut him down. I know, I know, shutting him down could essentially kill Matthews' chances of playing at the Olympics. But that's precisely the point. Shutting him down now would give Matthews six or seven weeks to prepare for the Olympics."
The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered back-to-back losses to the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers, exposing defensive and offensive struggles. Connor McDavid delivered an overpowering performance while Auston Matthews produced limited impact, likely due to an undisclosed injury. Matthews continues to contribute points despite reduced effectiveness. With the Leafs out of contention for a divisional lead, the suggestion is to shut Matthews down for six to seven weeks to protect his health and preserve Olympic prospects. A shutdown would signal the team is effectively conceding the season but could allow Matthews to return post-Olympics if playoff contention remains plausible.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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