Auston Matthews blames Maple Leafs loss on teammates not giving full effort

The Toronto Maple Leafs had a tough night and lost the game, and their captain Auston Matthews didn’t hold back. After the game, Matthews said, “I thought we had too many passengers.” That means he felt some players didn’t give their best effort. Matthews himself only had two shots on goal, and the whole team looked flat from start to finish. The Leafs had to play hard, but it appeared as though most of them didn't bring the passion.

Auston Matthews admits Leafs didn't play with enough heart

Auston Matthews is a go-to goal-scorer, but in this one, he wasn't quite himself. He managed to get only two shots on net and didn't appear to have the passion that fans are accustomed to witnessing. But what angered him more was that other players on his team didn't appear much better. When he referred to there being "too many passengers," he implied that there were not enough players putting in extra effort to win.

“I thought we had too many passengers,” says Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who had two shots on goal tonight.

— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) May 19, 2025

Good teams require all of their players to make maximum effort. But here, it seemed that only a handful of Leafs players were skating hard, checking, and attempting to make plays. The rest were merely going through the motions.


Auston Matthews' words are sharp, and they may wake the team up. When your captain addresses the team in that manner, something needs to change immediately. The playoffs are near, and games like this cannot happen again.

William Nylander and Mitch Marner couldn't get things going

Other marquee players such as William Nylander and Mitch Marner were also off. Nylander lacked his normal pep and pace. Mitch Marner had some solid shifts but could not help set up goals like he usually does. The entire team seemed a step behind.


The Leafs lost too many opportunities, and they didn't push back when down. The game was subdued on their part, and that was noticed by fans. Austin Matthews was visibly upset. He is well aware that the team is more talented than they performed. The issue wasn't talent, it was work ethic.


Now it's the Leafs turn to rebound. They can't have "passengers" playing for them in their next games. Each player must play surely or they might end up cutting their season short.


Also Read: Auston Matthews And His Fans Got Emotional As His Mother Opened Up About The Financial Struggles Of Getting Him Into Hockey