Leafs Captain Auston Matthews Shouts at NHL Officials Following Puzzling Penalty Call

There's no question that Auston Matthews is one of the cleanest players in hockey, so when he takes offense to a penalty call, you know the referees probably messed up.

A fairly consistent challenger for the Lady Byng Trophy, an award given to the NHL's most sportsmanlike player every year, Matthews had been working to get the puck back along the wall while on a power play in Columbus when the play was blown down.

As you can see from the clip above, Matthews does certainly have a case that this one was a very soft call -- and he made sure the NHL referees knew it, shouting at them all the way to the penalty box.

It's pretty clear from Matthews' reaction that he's frustrated right now, and rightfully so. Not only is he himself off to a bit of a quieter start to the season, but his team isn't exactly flourishing right now either.

Matthews and the Leafs are off to a fairly disappointing start, going 5-5-1 to begin the season, with losses coming to Detroit (x2), Seattle, Buffalo, and Columbus, and a injuries have played a significant role in that, as did a lengthy leave of absence for Joseph Woll.

There aren't any simple answers here. It's not as though one trade is going to fix everything in Toronto. Furthermore, the Leafs aren't exactly giving Brad Treliving any reason to want to pull the trigger and trade the few assets he has remaining to bring in a top six forward.

Something's got to give in Toronto, and Craig Berube's team is going to have to figure things out, because if not, it could be a very ugly season for the Leafs.