Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the leading goal scorer in the league with 53 goals in 60 games, went without a point against the Boston Bruins on Monday in a 4-1 loss.
Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman stood tall with 32 saves, while Pavel Zacha's two goals and Jake DeBrusk's goal and assist led Boston's offensive charge. David Pastrnak contributed three assists to secure the victory for the Bruins.
While Auston Matthews' performance dip has raised questions among fans, Boston's defensive efforts were commendable.
Defenseman Brandon Carlo's crucial goal-line save denied Matthews a potential goal during a Toronto power play. Fans reacted to Matthews' outing, with one tweeting:
"Matthews not even going 60. As soon as the playoffs roll around, he's going to disappear like he always does"
Here are some of the top reactions on X:
The loss marks a rare defeat for the Maple Leafs following a run of nine wins in their last 10 games. That changed when Boston showed solid defense and nifty penalty kills. Suddenly, Toronto's attack found no room to work, frustrating Matthews and his crew.
With the regular season moving on, Auston Matthews' eyes are on netting 70 goals, which remains an uphill task.
Bruins dominate Maple Leafs as Auston Matthews' performance dip
The Boston Bruins showed up strongly against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. About halfway through the first segment, Morgan Geekie scored. Credit goes to David Pastrnak, as he made a slick pass that helped the Bruins go up 1-0.
Pavel Zacha extended Boston's lead at 12:42 of the first period with a power-play goal, capitalizing on a pass from Pastrnak and scoring with a precise shot from the slot.
The Bruins continued their offensive onslaught in the second period, with Jake DeBrusk making it 3-0 at 5:07, receiving a pass from Charlie Coyle and beating the goaltender's glove side from the left circle during a 3-on-2 rush.
Toronto's John Tavares sparked some optimism for the Maple Leafs. He shrunk their deficit to 3-1 early in the third period as his precise shot flew over Jeremy Swayman's right shoulder.
However, Zacha was quick to quash any comeback bid for the Maple Leafs. He scored yet again, this time mid-third period. Zacha turned Pastrnak's pass around the corner right into the goal as the Bruins clinched a convincing win.