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Maple Leafs stars Auston Matthews, William Nylander own up to shortcomings after 5-1 loss to Blues
The Toronto Maple Leafs are reeling after back-to-back blowout losses against the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues. With a 4-4-0 record to start the season, the team's stars know they need to be better.
Following a disheartening 5-1 defeat to the Blues on Thursday, Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews did not mince words in his postgame comments. He took personal responsibility for the poor performance, acknowledging the team was simply not good enough.
"Light on pucks, losing battles, opened up the net front tonight. It's pretty simple," Matthews said postgame via NHL.com. "Just a bad game all around. It starts with me. But yeah, there's a number of things we obviously didn't do good tonight."
The star center expressed particular concern about the team's mentality, noting that the veteran squad should have responded better after their poor showing on Tuesday against Columbus.
Meanwhile, William Nylander took responsibility for a crucial error that led to Jake Neighbours' goal, which put the Blues up 4-1. Nylander's turnover proved costly, and he was quick to acknowledge his mistake.
"My play was stupid there in the third period. Gotta be better than that," Nylander said via The Leafs Nation, while also addressing broader team issues. "We were able to create a lot of chances, we played them pretty good enough but we gave them too many good quality scoring chances.”
Both players' candid self-criticism reflects growing concern about the team's recent form.
"We've sure taken a dip," Nylander added. "That's on me and everybody else on the team to pick it up a notch starting with practice tomorrow."
The road ahead doesn't get easier for Toronto, as they face longtime rivals Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Saturday.
Auston Matthews on Joseph Woll's performance against the Blues
Matthews showed support for netminder Joseph Woll following Toronto's loss to the Blues, acknowledging the challenging circumstances of the goaltender's season debut.
Woll stopped 22 shots in his first appearance of the season following a break due to a groin injury.
"I mean, its tough when, you know, we're giving up odd mans that way and turning pucks over, Matthews said. "So, I mean it's tough to bounce right back into your first game and have that coming at you."
The Leafs' leading scorer quickly shifted focus to their upcoming clash with the Bruins, emphasizing the need for immediate improvement.
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