It can be easy to forget about additions and subtractions on the Maple Leafs roster over the past year or so since there have been such an abundant number of transactions.
One addition that will not be forgotten is the Leafs own, Auston Matthews.
Last night Matthews was playing right wing on a line with Nugent-Hopkins and MacKinnon. He certainly didn’t look out of place with the two NHL studs. This line was all over the European squad, pressuring them in the offensive zone and securing the puck for a number of quality scoring chances.
Both Matthews and McDavid came out the gates flying, they really stood out to me at the start of the game. As the game continued, MacKinnon began to fly around the ice bolstering with confidence. While Matthews had no points in the game, he was part of the most dangerous line for the North American team. I kept thinking to myself, wow, Matthews is going to be something special! My phone was buzzing frequently for the first couple periods with excitement from Leafs Nation over Matthews’s talent level.
There was a play in the first period where Matthews had the puck knocked off his stick in the offensive zone and a player from team Europe started to exit the zone with the puck. A few crisp glides from Matthews skates and there he was, back checking, lifting the stick of the defensemen and stealing the puck away, instantly firing a pass up the boards to spring his teammate. It was a thing of beauty, and it’s just one small example of some of the tremendous amount of talent and desire to win number 34 shows. Just wait until he’s in the blue and white, it will be glorious.
Matthews had a few words to say about his line mates after the first preliminary game.
"He's an electrifying player," Matthews said of MacKinnon. "His skating and puckhandling are unbelievable, some of the best I've ever seen.
"It was easy to play with him and Nugent-Hopkins, who is a smart, 200-foot player who can make plays."
Team North America will have a rematch against team Europe on Sunday, so be sure to tune in if you want another taste of Matthews and Rielly in action.
Rielly was partnered up with Ekblad, and they were a dominant force on the ice, two unbelievable defensemen. They did a great job keeping the shots to a minimum in the first two periods, but team North America showed some lack of experience in the third period as the whole team was taking too long of shifts, something that will have to be rectified going forward in the tournament.
Matt Murray who is fresh off a Stanley Cup win with the Pittsburgh Penguins came away with a shutout stopping all 23 shots. He is the real deal, very poised and square on his angles while moving swiftly from side to side in the crease.
All signs are pointing in the right direction for Matthews as the season is still a month away, there has been nothing but positive comments and results from the Leafs number one pick.
Starting as the 13th forward for North America, Matthews was bumped up to the third line after one day on the ice. His North American coach Todd McLellan was quoted:
“There’s a lot of characteristics when I talk about Auston in the locker room that I used with an individual last year in Edmonton,… said McLellan, clearly referencing Connor McDavid. “They’re different players, but the ‘wow’ factor, the maturity, the size and strength and poise with the puck, the ability to pick up concepts really quick and for me the lack of intimidation.
“He’s not intimidated by any of the players that are out there. The Leafs will have a very good player for many, many years.…
The speed and tenacity shown by Team North America is exciting to watch. It’s amazing to me that Matthews is already playing at a level with mostly all-star players and isn’t missing a beat. I for one am already looking forward to watching Matthews play his next game, this kid is going to be amazing for the Toronto Maple Leafs!
Thanks for reading, have a great weekend!