There’s one thing that I believe people sometimes miss about the Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews. He’s arguably the best goal-scorer in the NHL; and, he could be on his way to 70 goals this season. That said, his play seems to show that he prioritizes winning over scoring goals. That was evident in the Maple Leafs’ frustrating loss on Tuesday by a score of 4-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers.

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Against the Flyers, Matthews Looked to Set Up His Teammates

While Matthews didn’t unleash the goal-scoring he’s renowned for against the Flyers, he did register two assists. One came on the power play in the third period. Instead of shooting to try to score his own goals, he showed his willingness to contribute in multiple ways on the ice.

He’s only scored one goal in his last five games, but that fact doesn’t seem to be causing him any major concern. Instead, with Mitch Marner on the shelf with a high-ankle sprain, Matthews continues to generate points. He seems to have taken Marner’s place as a play-making distributor. He remains a threat with his shooting talent, but he hardly has a me-score-first mentality.

One notable aspect of Matthews’ game was his passing mentality. Despite his reputation as one of the league’s top goal scorers, he showed his willingness to distribute the puck. By doing so, he emphasized a team-first mentality. Although he had several scoring opportunities, there were instances where he opted to pass instead of shoot.

While some hockey analysts might think that’s wrong-minded, Matthews plays his own game. He wants to lead this team to win. Thus, he facilitated for his teammates.

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Against the Flyers, Matthews Made Key Offensive Contributions

Despite not finding the back of the net in last night’s game, Matthews made key offensive contributions. Especially during the third period, he was buzzing around the ice and actively generating scoring chances for the team. There were missed opportunities, but his overall impact on the offensive end was noticed.

What I believe Toronto fans should note in Matthews’ play is that he’s not a selfish me-first player. Instead, he’s a versatile player capable of scoring goals and creating scoring chances for his teammates. He’s quite willing to forego his numbers to help the team win.

It didn’t happen last night. There even seemed to be moments where he could have been more assertive in his shooting. Yet, his commitment to contributing to the team’s success was evident throughout the game. Give him credit for that!

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