With the Maple Leafs falling to 15th in the Eastern Conference in points percentage, captain Auston Matthews discussed a 5-3 loss to the Predators, the current mental state of the team, and whether his belief in the group has been challenged.
On the team’s performance in Nashville:
I thought we had a better process tonight, honestly. I thought we had the puck more, made more plays, and allowed our forwards to come through the neutral ice a little bit more. We were making adjustments on the fly. It is not going to be perfect right away, but I thought our process was a lot better.
I’d like that play back at the end of the second. In the third, they kind of had the momentum a little bit more. You get down, and you are trying to chase it back. I definitely think there was no shortage of positives compared to the previous couple of games.
On the team getting routinely outshot, and why sustaining offensive-zone time has been such a challenge:
I don’t know. It is a good question. As I said, I thought our process was better tonight. I thought we had the puck more. We have to do a better job of getting shots through to the net and creating second and third chance opportunities — not just one-and-done opportunities.
It is definitely something we can work on. It has been an issue throughout parts of the season. We definitely want to be a team that is outshooting the other team. We want to be able to sustain offensive-zone pressure, shoot, and get pucks back to create those second and third-chance opportunities.
On the team’s current mental state:
Mentally, we are fine. As shitty as it is losing, I thought the process was better. We had good energy all night. Even though you are leaving the rink upset about not getting any points from the game, the process we had throughout is something we can take and move forward with, knowing some of the good things we did and trying to channel that throughout a full 60.
On why the 2-1 lead got away from the team:
They won the battle on special teams. You want to go into the third up a goal, and we went in tied.
They got one there. You have half a period left, and you are trying to generate. They did a good job of taking care of the front of their net in the third. We weren’t able to get another opportunity on special teams, and then you are kind of chasing it.
I thought the first two periods were pretty solid, and then in the third, it was tough to get anything going, especially with them up a goal.
On the team’s one power-play opportunity with the new “balanced” units:
It was good. Sometimes you have to switch things up.
I thought, on the one opportunity we got, we had a really good look with Robby in the middle. The more repetition we get, the better, and the more comfortable the guys are going to feel with each other.
It is good to mix things up like that sometimes.
On Troy Stecher’s comment about the lack of “joy” within the group lately, and how he can help turn it around as the team’s captain/leader:
Just bringing energy every day. Tonight, we had great energy, from warmup to the drop of the puck and throughout the game. Even in the third period, there was chatter on the bench and a lot of energy.
As I said, you are on the wrong side of it tonight, but that part of the game — and that part of the room — can’t lack. We have to continue to bring the energy throughout the whole locker room and make sure guys are ready to play each night.
On what this losing stretch has been like for him personally:
It is never easy. It is never fun. You just have to mentally grind through it. It is one of those things I’ve been through before. You learn to deal with it. You learn to work harder to get yourself out of it when you are going through a tough stretch, individually or as a team.
The best thing to do is to continue to fight through the adversity and pick guys up when they’re down. I know the guys have my back, too. We’ll just keep grinding through.
On whether his belief in the group has been challenged:
I don’t think the belief is challenged. When you go through rough stretches, it is never fun, and it can wear on you, for sure. That is natural.
We are trying to be mentally strong as a group and mentally strong as individuals to fight through the adversity, continue to pick each other up, have each other’s backs, and make sure we continue to bring it, stick with the process, and be better.
