'I feel good': Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews finally looks like his true self

Feeling more at ease about your captain, Leafs Nation?

Wow, what a difference a week makes.

When Auston Matthews met with reporters at practice on New Year’s Day, the captain offered a candid confession regarding the undisclosed upper-body injury that has nagged him since training camp.

The captain admitted he was unsure if the upper-body ailment was something he’d be able to put behind him once and for all this season. In a full-contact sport waged on a nearly every-other-night basis — plus three or four bonus games for February’s 4 Nations Face-Off — there would be no guaranteeing 100 per cent recovery.

Sure, Matthews would rest when possible and be smart picking his spots to engage physically. Head coach Craig Berube would monitor minutes and likely sprinkle in the odd maintenance day at practice.

But who’s to say how Matthews’ sore (insert best guess here) would respond to more wear and tear. He’d already needed two substantial stints on the sidelines and missed 15 games in the team’s first half of the season.

Well, from Matthews’ mildly surprising Saturday night return versus the Bruins through to his ice-tilting performances Sunday and Tuesday in consecutive 3-2 wins over the chippy Flyers, he has looked as well as he has produced.

With a goal and a primary assist in Tuesday’s comeback show for the Maple Leafs’ mentors at Wells Fargo Center, Matthews has now racked up seven points in his three outings since Take 3 of this painful campaign.

“Just doing Auston things,” as linemate Mitch Marner puts it. “Good to have 34 back.”

Five of Matthews’ points are assists. Perhaps that is in honour of his chosen mentor, soon-to-be Hall of Fame setup man Joe Thornton — who is sporting his own No. 97 Leafs sweater during this Toronto-to-Philadelphia-to-Raleigh travelling road party.

“He’s not just my mentor. I feel like he’s everybody’s mentor here,” Matthews told reporters in Philadelphia following the Leafs’ fifth straight win.

“We’re close. We talk all the time. I thought it was just a cool opportunity to bring him along with his jersey retirement (in San Jose) this year and the relationship he has with a lot of guys on the team, staff members. It’s been a treat to have him so far. It’s been a lot of fun.”

By registering his 200th career multi-point game Tuesday, Matthews became the fastest U.S.-born player to accomplish that feat (589 games), knocking Pat Lafontaine (617 games) down a notch.

Moreover, he is blocking shots, throwing a few hits, snapping back most of his draws, and stripping pucks from the opposition. 

Through these three games, Matthews is a plus-7. And Berube has done his part, keeping the star’s ice time under 21 minutes despite all three Leafs wins coming down to the buzzer.

Dare we say it? The man looks like he’s back to form.

“It’s not surprising,” John Tavares said. “Great in the faceoff circle, PK’ing, winning battles, great defensively. As complete as a player as you’re gonna find.

“He’s jumped in here real nicely, starting on Saturday. Seems really in rhythm, his instincts, and just the compete level that he has. His willingness to stay on pucks and push the pace with his feet — little details like that go a long way and set the tone for the group.”

The Leafs have needed his tone-setting. 

That winger Matthew Knies’ three-game goal streak coincides with his centreman’s return is no coincidence. Matthews swiped a key O-zone draw that led to Knies’s winning tip-in goal in the third period, salvaging two points from an off night.

It was the Matthews line that drove Toronto’s rally from an ugly first period in which the Leafs were outshot 10-2 and their best highlight was Connor Dewar fighting Joel Farabee. (No, Ryan Reaves did not drop the gloves. Yes, the heavyweight is still fight-free in 2024-25.)

Thanks in large part to Matthews and his wingers, the Maple Leafs snatched another two points on a night where they brought their B game and were saved by their A line.

“A gutsy win by the boys,” Matthews said. 

“I feel good. I think every night I’ve felt better. I just want to keep that momentum going.”

That’s sweet music to Leafs Nation’s ears.

Fox’s Fast Five

• Steven Lorentz always knew he’d be bringing his dad, Mark, along for the mentors’ trip. 

“He’s been my No. 1 fan since… well, he’s the one who put me into skates,” Lorentz said of the Leafs superfan. “He texted me last night and just said how effin’ awesome this was to experience this. I’m so happy he is able to.”

For Mark to hang around at breakfast with the likes of fellow mentors Wendel Clark and Joe Thornton, it’s like fantasy camp.

“I’m not numb to it, but they’re just people,” Steven said. “Just shoot the you-know-what and just be guys.”

• Daniel Briere is freely conceding that the Flyers are not contenders yet, so he wants to be upfront with fans and set expectations ahead of the trade deadline. 

“It’s not the time to go. We don’t have unrestricted free agents, so the selling part for us is going to have to be hockey trades,” the GM told Real Kyper & Bourne Tuesday. “And hockey trades that are going to make us better in the future is what we’re going to be looking for.”

Considering the dearth of centremen and right-shot defencemen on the market, interested managers should make Briere an offer on Scott Laughton and/or Rasmus Ristolainen. 

• The Leafs didn’t register a shot on net until the 14:23 mark.

That’s the latest first shot for the club all season. They also failed to put a single puck on net during their first two power plays.

• A pressing question: Now that the Leafs are through with back-to-backs until late February — when Anthony Stolarz (knee) should be available — how many nights off will Joseph Woll get?

Berube refuses to tip his hand, saying the starter’s plan is “game to game,” but Woll is locked in.

“I just enjoy playing, honestly,” he said. “It’s easy to get in more of a rhythm when you’re playing more.”

• Both Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews were born in 1997 — the same year a couple of icons from their franchises, Wayne Gretzky and Mats Sundin, filmed a trick-shot commercial for McDonald’s.

Well, McDavid and Matthews updated the betting ad for a spot that dropped Tuesday.

Compare the OG…

…to the remix: