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On a night that the Maple Leafs could have used a goal from their captain, Auston Matthews couldn’t execute.
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In a 3-2 shootout loss against the Philadelphia Flyers at Scotiabank Arena, Matthews had eight shots on goal, including four in overtime, but couldn’t get one to drop. Had Matthews done so, it could have made the difference and got the Leafs a point that they desperately need, even if their playoff chances remain distant at best.
Furthermore, Matthews couldn’t beat Flyers goalie Dan Vladar in the shootout. Trevor Zegras scored on the next attempt, and that stood as the deciding goal after Vladar stopped Max Domi.
As the Leafs’ post-season hopes have taken a dive, Matthews is mired in a goal-scoring slump. He’s now at eight games without a goal, marking the second-longest skid of his National Hockey League career.
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Longest drought
Matthews’ longest drought came during his rookie season in 2016-17, when he went 13 games without scoring, mere weeks after starting his NHL career with a four-goal game against the Ottawa Senators.
Not only has Matthews gone eight games without scoring, he has just one goal in his past 12 games.
A glimmer of hope, perhaps: Matthews and William Nylander, put together on a line with Bobby McMann as coach Craig Berube pulls at every straw to try to make something work, meshed nicely.
“I thought they were good,” Berube said. “Auston had eight shots, Willie four or five. They created. They just didn’t finish. But I liked the line.”
Thing is, the finish has to be there for Matthews. Against the Leafs’ next opponent, the New Jersey Devils in Newark on Wednesday, Matthews has 21 goals in 22 career games. It’s the most Matthews has against a non-Atlantic Division team.
Breaking out of his slump could help the Leafs finally return to the win column.
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