Auston Matthews Responds to Media After Craig Berube Blasts Him Over Critical Turnover

There was a lot of excitement surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. St. Louis Blues game because it was the Leafs coach Craig Berube's first game against the team that fired him after he led them to a Stanley Cup.

Not everyone has been playing at their best, particularly superstar Auston Matthews, who has made some very costly defensive mistakes, such as leaving Dylan Holloway all alone for the Blues' second goal of the match:

Matthews gave up a prime scoring opportunity for St. Louis after a terrible defensive zone giveaway. Matthews playing with blinders on is out of character, so one has to wonder what's going on. Craig Berube, the head coach, wasn't going to let Matthews get away with it either. He scolded and gave his star instructions in a variety of profane terms.

The Maple Leafs' players have occasionally needed a boost to get things going, and maybe they will focus a bit more and make sure that these mistakes don't cost them repeatedly.

After the game and in response to Craig Berube's annoyance, Matthews demonstrated his leadership development since being named captain by taking ownership of the team's performance.

Given that it was Joseph Woll's season debut and there was a lot of interest in how the Maple Leafs would react following Tuesday's game in Columbus, Toronto needed Matthews and company to perform well in this game. At one point when the play on the ice got so bad, the yearly tradition of a Maple Leafs fan throwing a jersey onto the ice materialized once more.

Although a 5-1 loss to St. Louis just a few days after losing 6-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets is concerning, there is a silver lining: Matthews has grown as a leader, and the best way to handle pressure is during the early season. It's a step forward for the team's new captain as he determines how he will lead this team during the regular season and beyond.