Auston Matthews after loss to Panthers: ‘We need to be the more desperate team every single night’
“I didn’t think we had the same level of urgency and detail that they had,” Matthews said. “They got three there in the first. I thought our second and third, we competed hard and played much better, but it’s hard to dig yourself out of a hole against a team like that defends really hard.”
“I don’t think concern is the right word. I just think we need more desperation, some more fire, especially to start games,” Matthews said post-game. “We know the position that we’re in and we need to be the more desperate team every single night. I thought our start wasn’t great, but the second and third period, we competed, guys worked. We did a lot of good things, but we need to turn it into a full 60-minute effort.”
Toronto will certainly need to be the more desperate team every night for the remaining 23 games. Ahead of the March 6 trade deadline, the Maple Leafs appear headed for a retooling, where several veteran players will be on the trade block, including Bobby McMann and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, among others. It’s not the outcome that Matthews and other Leafs want, but as this year’s playoff odds continue to wane, Matthews may be playing alongside a revamped group as soon as next week.