Critiques of the Maple Leafs Slow Response Are Ignorant

Thursday in Toronto looked like any other game at first. But then Auston Matthews went down after Gudas’ knee-on-knee, and you could feel the arena shift. The Toronto Maple Leafs weren’t just watching a play; they were watching their captain take a real hit, and the silence said it all. It was brutal, no two ways about it.

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Analysts (and Coach Berube) Are Dumping on the Maple Leafs Players: But They’re Wrong.

Already, some analysts have started to dump on the Maple Leafs for not diving in the instant Matthews hit the ice. Craig Berube even threw his own team under the bus when he critiqued them for not jumping to the pump. He said he wanted to see four players jump right in.

By doing so, Berube called his team out publicly. It was more than a little tone-deaf and showed he was an observer, not a participant. He saw it from the bench, not on the ice, and his criticism misses that perspective. His better call was to stick up for his team by calling out the brutality of the hit and acknowledging the human response that when your teammate is really, really hurt, you’re stunned first and reactive second.

Nick Kypreos did the same, but he’s always after the hot take. It’s the way he approaches his job.

The Maple Leafs Players’ Response Was Human and Logical.

It’s time to slow down a bit and realize what happened. The human response comes from the context of what’s happening on the ice. To ignore the context is off base. Plain and simple, it was a brutal, shocking hit. When your captain is writhing on the ice, the first thought isn’t “time for a scrap.” Instead, it’s “Holy s**t, is he okay?”

The pause was natural and human. That’s what real humans do when they’re shocked by an event. The players needed time to catch their bearings. And honestly, I believe what they did by pausing was exactly what the team needed.

What Happened in the Third Period Told the Truth About the Maple Leafs.

By the third period, the real Maple Leafs turned the tables. They hit harder, amped up their physical play, and turned the tables on the Ducks. The Maple Leafs team played to prove a point. They scored, defended, flipped the switch, and walked off with a win.

Weeks of listless play and the lack of energy that came from simply playing out a losing season were gone. The team stood up for its Captain, and that tells fans everything about what this team feels about Auston Matthews. He’s been dumped on by outsiders for not being a great Maple Leafs leader. His teammates’ response shows they’re not buying that.

After the Shock Faded, the Maple Leafs Rallied Big Time: That’s Huge.

What happened in the third period says tons about this team. The Maple Leafs played for each other, for their captain, and for each other. That kind of reaction doesn’t happen without chemistry. It shows fans that this locker room is tighter than the media portrays. When it counts, these guys have each other’s backs.

Those who criticize the “delay” are missing the point. The initial pause was a real human response. For those in the middle of trauma, it made sense. What mattered was what came next. The third period was full of fire, focus, and heart.

This team woke up when it needed to, and that’s exactly the kind of thing that can carry them through the rough patches. Watch closely; the Maple Leafs care about their Captain. And for this group, that shows more than any instant reaction ever could.

Related: Matthews Injured, Maple Leafs Called Out for Lack of Response