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TORONTO – Squeezing his baton at the end of the training, Auston Matthews listened to everything in a one-way exchange with Maple Leaf head coach Mike Babbad.
"Do you think I'll tell you?" Matthews replied suddenly, questioned about what had been said.
"No," added Babbad as a result of a similar request. "But thanks for asking. I appreciate it."
Mike Babbad and Auston Matthews discussed at the end of the trials. The two people were asked if they wanted to share what was said:
AM: "Do you really think I'll tell you?"
MB: "No. But thank you for asking, I appreciate it. You advance and speculate. pic.twitter.com/RnAU9Vrs8d– Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) April 8, 2019
Although neither of us cares to discuss the interaction, Matthews will continue to be among the most watched players when Toronto opens the first round of the NHL playoffs in Boston Thursday.
And the star center is going to seek redemption
Matthews: "We want to catch up last year."
Matthews had just two points in the loss to the Bruins in the spring of 2007, in a loss to seven games – a series where his trio was dominated by the trio of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak.
"Everyone on this team is very hungry," Matthews said Monday. "We want to catch up last year.
"You put the past in the past and move on to a new challenge."
Against the Bruins, this challenge will be a better start for TD Garden after the Leafs were eliminated 5-1 in the first game and 7-3 in the second game a year ago.
Toronto then took the 3-1 lead with the series back to Boston, but won the next two to force a seventh game where the Leafs led 4-3 in the third period before collapsing into a 7-game loss. 4 who ended their season.
Related: Maple Leafs vs. Bruins: the renewed rivalry
"We thought it could have gone both ways," said Matthews. "Do not move forward, it was very frustrating.
"It left a bitter taste in many of our mouths. We really want to use that as motivation. "
Be patient with mists tested in combat
Babbad said the general message to Matthews and the rest of the Leafs, who finished seven points behind the Bruins for second place in the Atlantic Division, is the need to be patient with an opponent proven in combat.
"The most important thing is that there is more room, there is no time, there is no room," Babbad said. "The better you are, the less there will be. So you have to understand what the series are and what it will take to succeed: the whole team must do it. "
Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak combined 30 points against Toronto in the first round last April, while Matthews scored a solo goal.
The 21-year-old was injured several times in 2017-2018, especially at the shoulder at the end of the schedule. He missed 14 games due to a shoulder injury to the other at the start of the season, but he feels almost at his peak, especially in the last month.
"The level of energy, skating, just competitiveness every night, have been pretty solid over the past two weeks," said Matthews, who finished third in the Leafs scoring with 37 goals and 36 badists in 68 games. "I just want to continue that (and) move my game to another level next Thursday."
Babbad: Matthews has "come a long way".
Babbad, who guided the leafs to the playoffs for a third consecutive season, also saw a clear improvement from the Toronto star who must prevail to ensure the franchise's first win since 2004.
"You have to remember that he's just a young player," Babbad said. "You learn to play without the puck to get more. You learn to play and to check. You learn what to do and when to do it. You are only improving.
"His best hockey is in front of him, by far. In saying this, he has come a long way. "
Toronto should have a better response to the first line of Boston: John Tavares, who signed with the Leafs in free agency last summer, while Nazem Kadri focuses on the third unit and hopes to correct itself after suspended for Games 2, 3 and 4 last spring.
Twelve months ago, Matthews was targeted by Zdeno Chara, the towering defenseman, almost every round, at this point 12 months ago, especially when the Bruins had their last change.
Related: Rinks are the dragon that the Maple Leafs have to kill
He's probably going to have the same kind of things, especially in Boston, but he's stuck for what's going to happen.
"I expect a lot from me," Matthews said. "I want to compete, produce and help this team win in every possible way.
"These are all those little things that really make the difference."
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Follow @JClipperton_CP on Twitter
Joshua Clipperton, Canadian Press
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