Inquiries about Auston Matthews’ remarkable early-season performance led many to question if he had altered his playing style or position on the ice. With two back-to-back hat tricks, there was a new aura about him that members of the media were picking up on. What changed? Why does Matthews look so different?
It could be a different sense of motivation. It could be his new contract and no dark cloud hanging over him this season, knowing his future is in Toronto. It could be new teammates.
Apparently, it’s none of those things.
According to Elliotte Friedman in the latest written version of his 32 Thoughts column, the answer is simple. He wrote, “Asked a few people why they thought Auston Matthews was off to such a hot start. Is he shooting differently? Going to other places on the ice? The number one answer received: “He’s healthy.”
The suggestion here is that his health last season was so bad, it completely affected his game, even when he was on the ice and deemed good to go. After wrist surgery in August 2021 and a possible minor procedure in the summer of 2022, Matthews faced challenges in training during the off-season. It wasn’t always just about actually being hurt, but the lack of off-season prep time explained why he might have had such a slow October in 2022.
Despite these setbacks, Matthews managed to score 40 goals and accumulate 85 points in 74 games last season, albeit hindered by hand and knee injuries. With a determined focus on his fitness this time, Matthews has bounced back, showcasing exceptional resilience and dedication in his pursuit of peak performance on the ice. Matthews has declined to discuss last year’s results and does not want to “make any excuses for what happened last year,” says Friedman.
He had the opportunity to properly prepare this time, and you see the early results.
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Chris
October 18, 2023 at 3:29 pm
Well duh. It was obvious from the very beginning last season that Matthews was playing hurt. Surprising was the number of people—including some writers—who claimed he was just off to a slow start when it didn’t take a genius to see that his shot was off.