NHL insider Mike Johnson left in awe of $53,000,000 ‘beast’ following standout performance against Avalanche

NHL insider Mike Johnson was impressed by Auston Matthews after the Maple Leafs' 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Speaking on the First Up podcast on Thursday, Johnson called Matthews a "beast" for his strong one-goal performance. He said the Toronto captain was not only scoring but also playing great defense.

"He's been good several times, but he's never - when you walk away from a game and when beyond the goal that he could score. When you just say, 'Matthews was a beast tonight', he hasn't had many moments like that." Johnson said. [8:35]

Matthews had a vital player battle with Nathan MacKinnon, keeping him off the scoreboard at even strength. He also had eight shots on goal, scored once and created several scoring chances during 22:02 minutes of ice time.

"To go up head to head against Nathan McKinnon versus the entire night, to keep McKinnon off the board at five on five... He created so many good plays...," Johnson said. "I know he's winning possession with his body, with his stick, the stuff that we associate with him doing , well, when he's playing really well. It was a really great game."

In his last three NHL games, Matthews has been a key player for the Leafs. Against Colorado on Wednesday, he played over 22 minutes and scored a power-play goal. On Monday, he had two goals and an assist in a 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames. He scored even in a 4-2 loss to Ottawa on Saturday (Mar. 15). The Toronto star has six goals and six assists in his last nine games.

Johnson praised Matthews for winning battles with his body and stick. He said this was the performance the Leafs need as they prepare for the playoffs.

"I don't know where it came from, but in that moment... he was tremendous for the Toronto Maple Leafs. And that's the guy that the Leafs will need down the stretch into the playoffs for them to have a chance to catch Florida, to finish first, to win multiple rounds of playoffs."

"When he plays that way,... he changes the entire team. He was, so, so good, and just the one goal on a lucky break. But more than that, he was all over the puck, all over the puck against a pretty good defensive team. That would make the coaching staff smile, that maybe more that's on the horizon."

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Auston Matthews's and the Maple Leafs' performance this NHL season

Auston Matthews is in the first season of his four-year, $53 million contract. Last NHL season, he scored 69 goals, the most by any player in over 30 years. His record of 27 goals and 34 assists in an injury-plagued 2024-25 season indicates that he is one of the best forwards in the NHL.

The Maple Leafs (41-24-3) are level with the Florida Panthers on 85 points at the summit of the Atlantic Division standings. With the playoffs getting closer, Toronto will look up to their mercurial captain for his strong all-around play to engineer a deep postseason run.