Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Scoring Less on Purpose?
Auston Matthews is having a better season than he did in 2021-22.
Auston Matthews won the Rocket Richard Trophy last season. He also won both the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. Matthews was the first player since Steven Stamkos to score 60 goals in a season and many thought he might score 70 in the 2022-23 season as well.
Matthews is not having a successful 2022-23 season. It seems unlikely that he'll win any of the three trophies in 2022/23.
Auston Matthews has scored 18 goals this season. He's tied for 18th in the NHL with 42 points.
Auston Matthews is having a slow start to the season. He scored 40 goals and 93 points last season, but he has four more assists and three fewer points this season than he did last year.
Auston Matthews scored 106 points last season.
Matthews has stated that his priority is to win games and not to further his personal accomplishments or win individual awards this season. He has increased his focus on defence this year. According to HockeyReference.com, Matthews has 51 hits this term and is on pace to record 113 hits.
Auston Matthews has more assists than goals for the first time in his career. He is worried about team wins more than personal accolades or awards.
Matthew Matthews has had a different season this year. He is playing a game focused on defence and team success.
