Maple Leafs @ Lightning - Dec. 3rd, 7:00pm - SN, TSN 1050

[azzurri63]

I?m with GT. Matthews definitely seems to be focused on rounding out his game to do more to help the team win. Unfortunately, the goals aren?t coming quite as easily as in the past, but I have a hard time saying he?s struggling or disengaged. In terms of the defensive and physical sides of things, he seems to be more engaged than seasons past.

As for the play in OT last night?I have a hard time reading too much into that. Any mistake at 3-on-3 becomes magnified. And, quite frankly, overtime has become less about the best team winning and more about which team gets lucky.

I guess he?s just not in ?beast mode? yet.

I don't know what to make of him this season. I love that he's getting more physical, in my opinion he's been great defensively hunting retrieving pucks and if he's rounding out his game that's great. Winning is more important than individual awards. Having said that his 3 on 3 play in overtime for a guy of his calibre has been atrocious. No idea why he can't take control of things in overtime. Use his size and shot etc to win games. The play last night that cost us the game was all his fault and I'll disagree with Guilt Trip. If you watch the play over first thing I said to my son is why try that pass he easily could have skated it towards the corner and kept control of the puck. OT is all about possession but we seem to be handling a grenade in OT and 34 isn't the only one. The giveaway and then leaving his man for no reason resulted in the goal. Sandin was even directing him to stay with Killorn. The shot should have been stopped but it never should have came back in our end to start with.