HC Craig Berube reveals Auston Matthews' pep talk to Maple Leafs players before big win over Flames

Auston Matthews helped the Toronto Maple Leafs win 6-2 against the Calgary Flames on Monday, scoring two goals. Head coach Craig Berube said after Tuesday’s practice that Matthews’ leadership was also important. Before the game, Matthews talked to his teammates about playing better.

Berube said Matthews took charge in the locker room and told the team their effort was not good enough. Matthews backed up his words with strong play. He scored twice on the power play and assisted on another goal.

"He grabbed ahold of the room," Berube said (via mapleleafshotstove.com). "It is not good enough what is going on here. He went out and talked, and then he walked. That is really what it boils down to. He went out and led the way with the work and compete that was needed at the start of the game."

The Leafs had been struggling before this win. They had lost five of their past six games. They had not won in regulation since late February. Auston Matthews stayed focused and worked hard. Berube said this kind of performance builds confidence for both Auston Matthews and the team.

"It is going to give him confidence, like any player. When you score a goal or two goals, you are going to feel good about yourself. I think it was only a matter of time before they started going in. He probably has a little more confidence today.... I’ll say it again: It is about playing 200 feet, doing a good job, and being a good leader. To me, he has been doing a lot of that," Berube added.

Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving talked about Auston Matthews' performance against Flames

On Tuesday, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving praised Auston Matthews for breaking out of his scoring slump. Speaking on TSN’s Domino’s That’s Hockey, Treliving called Matthews an elite goal scorer and said his recent low numbers were not a concern.

“Well, we've said it for a long time. Auston's a—I mean, he's an elite goal scorer, and it was sort of a matter of time," Treliving said to Gino Reda. "...I think Auston's overall game has been real good.”

Treliving added that Matthews’ leadership is just as important as his scoring. He said Matthews’ effort against Calgary stood out more than his two goals.

"He's led us defensively, and that was probably even what stood out to me more last night than the goals,” Treliving said. “...The goals will come... But like I said, he set the standard for our group to follow.”

After Monday’s win, the Leafs are two points behind the division-leading Panthers and tied with Tampa Bay with 83 points in the Atlantic.