"Matthews is a drag on the team": Leafs nation react as Auston Matthews-less Toronto Maple Leafs improve to 7-1 record

The Toronto Maple Leafs have proven they can play well without their captain, Auston Matthews. They improved to a 7-1 record without him as Mitch Marner and William Nylander led the team to a 3-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday.

Marner scored twice, and Nylander's 14th goal of the season was the game-winner. Toronto continued its strong performance at Scotiabank Arena as it became the first NHL team to reach 10 home victories.

NHL insider Bryan Hayes shared this achievement on X (formerly Twitter), praising the Leafs' success without Matthews. He noted that Marner and Nylander have been key to the team’s performance, stating,

"7-1 without Matthews is a wild stat, but they’ve been well deserved wins. Marner and Nylander dominating pretty much every night doesn’t hurt…"

Following the post, NHL fans started reacting to it on X.

"Matthews is a drag on the team," one fan questioned Matthews' impact on the team.

"I think history shows Teams do fine with the Top Dog out of the lineup," a fan said.

"Excellent hockey players when it’s noncontact…wait till playoffs. It’s only about the playoffs," one X user reminded that the playoffs are what matter most.

Here are some more reactions from fans on X.

"When Marner is out Leafs do a lot worse. Marner does A LOT for the Leafs," a fan pointed out Marner’s importance.

"Marner loses so much of his freewheeling creativity when Matthews is out there, wish he'd find a way to keep it while still feeding him when able. Same for the powerplay as a whole," a fan commented on the chemistry between Matthews and Marner.

"They've always played better without Captain Underpants," a fan tweeted.

Former captain praises Maple Leafs' continued impressive form without Matthews

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on a hot streak, they have won their last seven games out of eight in Matthews's absence. What's more surprising is they are showing no signs of weakness on both offense and defense.

They have defeated strong offensive teams like the Edmonton Oilers (4-3) and Washington Capitals (3-0). Their defense and goaltending worked the best in games against Boston Bruins (4-0), and Vegas Golden Knights (3-0).

In their recent game, the Leafs beat the Utah Hockey Club, earning their fourth straight win. Former Maple Leafs captain John Tavares praised the team for its continued success without current captain Auston Matthews (via NHL.com):

“There’s guys in and out throughout the course of seasons in different years,” Tavares said. “Auston has missed a little bit of time before, but it’s just believing in the group and the identity we are trying to build, the type of game we are trying to play, the depth we have, and everyone is a part of it.

"Don’t get me wrong, we want him back as soon as possible, but good job by everyone just continuing to go to work to build and get better and earn results.”

With the win, the Maple Leafs maintained their lead atop the Atlantic Division, three points ahead of the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.