'Embarrassing': Auston Matthews doesn't hold back after blowout loss to rival Senators
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Auston Matthews called it «embarrassing» after the Toronto Maple Leafs got hammered 5-2 by the Ottawa Senators, and the mood felt heavy.
This one wasn't a bad bounce night, it was a full-on reality check. Ottawa walked into Scotiabank Arena and played like the hungrier team.
The Senators struck for five and made Toronto chase the game almost from the opening faceoff. Toronto is now 27-24-9, and Ottawa climbed to 29-22-8.
Matthews didn't sugarcoat it in his postgame clip, saying, «It was embarrassing to be honest with you.» That's a captain wearing it.
The box score tells you the score. The shot clock tells you the story.
Ottawa outshot Toronto 16-2 in the first period, and at one point ripped off 19 straight shots. That's not «slow start,» that's getting pinned in your own zone.
Joseph Woll wore five goals on 28 shots before the Leafs went to Anthony Stolarz in relief late in the second. You could feel the building go quiet.
The Senators cashed in when Toronto got sloppy, including a power-play goal that put the game out of reach. Toronto's details fell apart fast.
Matthews did set up Morgan Rielly for the opener, but it never built into momentum. William Nylander's goal only briefly changed the temperature.
Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs feel the heat
Leafs fans have heard the same promises before, so the frustration right now feels more like fatigue than rage.
Matthews is still producing at a star level on the season at 26-25-51, but this is the part that matters, the room follows his standard.
The Leafs didn't lose because of one missed assignment. They lost because Ottawa played faster to pucks, won the blue line, and owned the middle.
You can't live on power plays and pretty looks when you're defending for two straight minutes at a time. Toronto needs cleaner exits, and it needs them immediately.
The next game becomes a pressure valve, not just two points. If the Leafs bring this same pace again, the questions won't stop.
Also read on House Of Hockey :
Craig Berube challenges the Toronto Maple Leafs after Ottawa loss
Craig Berube challenges the Toronto Maple Leafs after Ottawa loss
| POLL | ||
MARS 1|223 ANSWERS 'Embarrassing': Auston Matthews doesn't hold back after blowout loss to rival Senators Can the Maple Leafs recover and make the playoffs? | ||
| Yes | 23 | 10.3 % |
| No | 200 | 89.7 % |
| List of polls | ||