Auston Matthews’ drop in performance could be linked to fatigue NHL expert speculates

Auston Matthews, the star player of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has received a lot of criticism since he has not been able to perform well this season. While the Toronto Maple Leafs won their last match against the Anaheim Ducks, fans and experts are still worried about Auston Matthews. Recently, NHL insider Mike Kelly weighed in on Auston Matthews’ performance this season.


On a recent episode of Amazon Prime’s NHL Coast to Coast, NHL insider Mike Kelly discussed what could be the reasons behind Auston Matthews’ average performance this season.
Mike Kelly said, "He only has five this year, from an area he usually scores a ton from. His shot volume isn't down much, his shot quality isn't down much.”
The NHL insider also added, "I wonder if maybe some fatigue (from the) 4-Nations (Face-Off), or an injury he's been dealing with is factoring into his mid-range shot not being as deadly."
Fans also believe that there is a high chance that Auston Matthews will not be able to improve his performance this season.

A fan commented, “Everyone’s expecting Matthews to magically fix himself for the playoffs… it ain’t happening. The guys cooked. Next season he’ll score 60 again tho. Might as well just skip to then.”
Another fan wrote, “10 mph down is a massive drop off when you’re shooting at all world goaltenders. Probably losing some deception on the release too with the drop in velocity.”
However, Auston Matthews has not addressed the slump in his performance yet. Starting from the 2021-22 season, Auston Matthews was able to score 60 goals; this dropped to 40 in the next season and then became 69 in the last season.
This season, however, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain, Auston Matthews has been able to score 29 goals in the last 59 games he has played.
Recently, Auston Matthews also saved himself from a major injury when Anaheim Duck’s Cutter Gautheir’s skate was about to hit the star player’s face as Cutter tripped and fell on the ice.
While fans are relieved that Auston Matthews did not sustain any major injuries, they are also hoping for a win at the next match against the Florida Panthers.
Also Read: Auston Matthews' close call with injury sparks outrage as Cutter Gauthier's skate comes dangerously close