Matthews sets tone, sparks Maple Leafs in breakout victory

TORONTO -- It was a different-looking Auston Matthews out on the Scotiabank Arena ice Monday, and not just because he and his teammates were decked out in green-and-white Toronto St. Pats jerseys in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

In the past month or so, the Toronto Maple Leafs captain has not resembled the player who won the Rocket Richard Trophy for leading the NHL in goals last season, a career year in which he scored 69 times and seemed to be a force every time out.

Whether it’s been an undisclosed injury he’s been playing through, lingering fatigue from an emotionally and physically grueling run as captain of the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off last month, whatever the reason, Matthews has not been the consistent dominant force on a nightly basis the Maple Leafs have been accustomed to seeing.

Unfortunately for the visiting Calgary Flames on this night, they just happened to be the opponents when the 27-year-old reverted back to his familiar self as part of Toronto’s dominant 6-2 victory.

“That’s your leader, right? And he led the way,” coach Craig Berube said. “He led the way with effort, competitiveness, just work.”

Which is exactly what the Maple Leafs needed.

This was the first time in 10 games that Toronto had won by more than one goal, a streak that dated back to a 5-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 23. It was the first time in eight games that they’d had a victory in regulation dating back to a 3-2 decision against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 28.

With the team coming into the contest against the Flames mired in a 1-4-1 funk, Matthews had said the team needed more urgency, the type required in a Stanley Cup playoff game. In fact, he stressed that, for the Maple Leafs, the playoffs had already started.

Then he and his teammates went out and played like it.

It was Matthews who set the tone with three points (two goals, one assist), five shots on goal, three blocked shots and 13 of 17 face-offs won. It was a far cry from his recent struggles, one in which he had just four goals in his previous 17 games.

“I just felt we came out with the right intensity, the right attitude and focus, and I thought it translated throughout the whole game,” Matthews said. “So it’s nice to get back into the win column. I just thought we did a lot of good things.”

After the Maple Leafs lost 4-2 to the Ottawa Senators Saturday, Berube talked about how annoyed his players were at the funk they’d found themselves in. In the end, they channeled that dismay into their best performance in almost a month.

“I mean, I thought the energy was great, starting with the skate and the meeting we had this morning,” Matthews said. “I thought everyone came in with good energy here in the (dressing) room.”

Much like the equipment they were wearing, the theme in the room was green and white, whether it be the name plates and mats at each player’s cubicle, or the color scheme of goalie Joseph Woll’s St. Patrick’s Day mask. The St. Pat’s jerseys they wore represented the Toronto St. Pats, the team that represented Toronto in the NHL from 1919-1927 before the name was changed to Maple Leafs.

Come Wednesday, they’ll be back in their familiar blue-and-white Maple Leafs jerseys to face the high-flying Colorado Avalanche (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, TNT, MAX), a team that, with all due respect to the Flames, poses a much more formidable challenge led by star forward Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar.

“We know this week is going to be a challenging one,” Matthews said. “We’ve got to enjoy this. It’s not easy to win through adversity. So we’ll enjoy this and be ready for them on Wednesday.”

The victory, which gave the Maple Leafs 83 points, means Toronto is in a second-place tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division, two points behind the Florida Panthers. Tampa Bay and Toronto each have a game in hand on Florida, which is on a modest two-game losing streak.

Of the Maple Leafs remaining 15 games, they have two against the Panthers and one versus the Lightning. If Matthews can continue to play like he did Monday, Toronto will have a legitimate shot at winning the division.

And, for that matter, much more in the coming months, if he has his way.