Photo credit: Dan Hamilton – USA Today Sports

Auston Matthews went from hero to zero in a flash after his overtime blunder cost the Toronto Maple Leafs a valuable second point in their OT loss to the Bruins.

With the Maple Leafs trailing 3-2 with less than 90 seconds remaining, Matthews came through in a big way with the game tying goal after great plays from John Tavares and Mitch Marner set the play up.

It wasn’t their best performance to date, but the Leafs scratched and clawed their way back to earn at least 1 point in the league’s standings against the struggling Bruins.

With overtime reaching its mid-way mark, the Leafs were able to jump on a loose puck after the Bruins turned it over. As Matthews was circling back into his own zone, presumably waiting for fresh legs to hop off the bench, he aimlessly whipped a no-look pass from near the goal-line that was intercepted by David Pastrnak who then fed Brad Marchand for the game-winner.

Matthews was on the ice for the majority of the 2 minutes and change in overtime but to make that decision before looking up and analyzing the situation – when you had time – is not what the slumping Maple Leafs needed at the moment, especially from their captain.

After the game, Matthews explained to the media what was going through his mind before, during, and after the play:

 
“I thought somebody was coming back, and then as I went to pass it, I looked up, and it wasn’t the case. So I just tried to get back and make a play, and just an unfortunate bounce.”
Head coach Craig Berube came to the defense of Matthews on that play, stating that it was team-wide breakdown and that they should have done a better job at supporting him since there were no white jerseys in sight:
“We gotta support him a little bit better on that play. We left him alone there. It was a mistake by everybody out there”
 

While it’s still just the beginning of the season, the Maple Leafs have already found themselves in a heap of trouble over this mini slump. A 1-3-1 slide is one thing, but they’ve played some uninspired hockey, their top players have been invisible for the most part, and their previous strengths are their current weaknesses.

The Leafs take to the ice on Monday night when they visit the unbeaten Jets on their home turf in Winnipeg, with Amazon Prime bringing the coverage.