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Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews shared his thoughts on facing Carolina Hurricanes veteran Jordan Staal following the Leafs' disappointing 6-3 loss on Thursday.
Staal produced a stellar performance, scoring a hat trick, the fourth of his career in his 19th NHL season.
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When asked about what makes the 36-year-old veteran a tough opponent, Matthews highlighted the team's strong identity.
He pointed out that while the Leafs had some good moments, they executed poorly, which the Hurricanes were quick to capitalize on.
"All those guys. I mean their team identity, they work extremely hard. They skate, you know, they close gaps there, play with a lot of pressure. So, I thought we had good sequences of the game, and then just like I said, little breakdowns, a little poor execution that they obviously capitalized on," Auston Matthews said.
HC Craig Berube also praised the Hurricanes for their strong performances, emphasizing their ability to wear down their opponents.
"They are a good team. They are difficult. They work, and they compete down low. We started off that way. We were killing plays, and we got the puck and went north with it. It was too much in our zone tonight. It ended up in our net," the Leafs coach said (6:38).
Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs face off the Vancouver Canucks next on Saturday. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET.
Auston Matthews scores, but Leafs fall to Hurricanes on road
On Thursday, the Carolina Hurricanes hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs at PNC Arena. Nicholas Robertson got the Maple Leafs on the board at 1:59 of the opening period, followed by William Nylander extending their lead at 7:29.
The Hurricanes made a comeback with goals from Eric Robinson and Jordan Staal, tying the game at 2-2. Moving into the second period, Staal netted his second goal 35 seconds in, putting the Hurricanes 3-2 ahead.
Auston Matthews then scored on the power play at 1:12, tying the game at 3-3 for the Leafs before Jackson Blake gave the Hurricanes a 4-3 lead going into the final period.
Staal wasted no time, scoring just 20 seconds into the third period to complete his hat trick before Seth Jarvis sealed a 6-3 win for the Hurricanes with an empty-net goal.
