The Toronto Maple Leafs won again, this time defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 on Tuesday, October 20.
Easton Cowan, Auston Matthews, and Jack Roslovic all stole the spotlight after the game, though the first two drew the most discussion.
Easton Cowan scored a goal and recorded two assists, while Matthews finished with a goal and an assist. Last season, questions lingered about how high Matthews would go this year after falling short in several situations.
However, so far this season, Matthews has shown that he remains an elite player and that, as long as he is healthy and comfortable, he can make a difference.
On Wednesday, October 21, Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill discussed Matthews’ current form on the postgame edition of Daily Faceoff’s “The Leafs Morning Take.”
Rosehill explained that young players like Cowan and Gavin McKenna benefit Matthews, noting that the star forward appears happier, even when sitting on the bench and chatting with his younger teammates.
Cowan and McKenna Are Bringing Out a Happier Auston Matthews
He said, “Yeah, for sure. Those two guys (Cowan and Matthews), if you got to pick two, are standing out for me.”
“Austin speaks for itself. He’s had two off years. Obviously, most people understand that he wasn’t healthy. They’re very ho-hum or hush-hush about that. Flying to Germany, getting things looked at. There was a surgeon down in Phoenix talking about his back or neck.”
“So everyone’s trying to read between the lines. But by all accounts, he looks like a different person this year. We were hoping that would be the case last year coming out of training camp. It just wasn’t. It just didn’t come to fruition.”
“This year, you see him laughing and smiling on the bench with Cowan and with McKenna. These guys seem to have, you know, a new exuberance with this youth around them, and I absolutely love to see it.”
Maple Leafs See Gavin McKenna, Easton Cowan Unlock Auston Matthews