Rival Head Coach Makes Surprising Declaration About Leafs Captain Auston Matthews

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has never been able to escape the insinuations that he is unable to succeed, win, or perform when the lights are brightest.

Sometimes it's hard to dispute those claims when you consider the amount of Game 7 losses, first round exits, and overall lack of playoff success he's had during his 9-year career.

While Matthews has turned into one of the league's greatest sharpshooters, what's even more important is how he's evolved his game to reflect his 2-way ability and defensive acumen.

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan was able to witness that first-hand when he coached Matthews during the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Team USA were defeated by Team Canada in overtime during the championship game and while Matthews had a quiet tournament to his standards, he saved his best for last with 2 assists and multiple high-quality opportunities in overtime before Connor McDavid iced it.

At the NHL level, Matthews has appeared in 55 playoff games spread out over the last 8 seasons, while posting 23 goals and 48 points. Last year, he missed two games during their first round matchup against Boston due to injury and looked like a shell of himself even when he played.

However, the two years prior to that, Matthews looked very good as he posted 9 goals and 20 points in 18 games. Unfortunately, the results remained the same, despite finally getting over the hump in the first round in 2022-23.

While he hasn't necessarily had much team success, the hockey world has taken notice of Matthews' evolution and coming from a 2-time Stanley Cup champion head coach like Mike Sullivan, that's a pretty huge vote of confidence.

With 49 points in 44 games this season, Matthews will assuredly be counted on to help the Maple Leafs preserve their standing atop the Atlantic Division. Home-ice advantage and a first round matchup that avoids Florida or Tampa Bay could do wonders for the Leafs in Matthews' first year as team captain.