The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing serious questions during a difficult stretch of the season. A recent on-ice incident involving team captain Auston Matthews has sparked discussion about how his teammates reacted during the play. That moment has become part of the wider conversation around the team’s current situation.
Now, one Toronto analyst has shared his opinion on the response from the ice.
William Nylander’s Response to Auston Matthews Hit Draws Criticism From Analyst
The Maple Leafs continue to deal with a challenging 2025-26 campaign as losses have piled up in recent weeks. Toronto holds a 28-27-12 record and sits at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings. The team has dropped several important games, including matchups against the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, and Tampa Bay Lightning.
The latest setback came Saturday at KeyBank Center when the Maple Leafs lost, 3-2, in a shootout against Buffalo. Owen Power scored first for the Sabres, and Dakota Joshua tied it for Toronto before Max Domi gave the Leafs a 2-1 lead early in the second period after finishing a 2-on-1 rush created by a pass from William Nylander. However, Buffalo won in the shootout after Jack Quinn tied the game earlier.
Nylander has remained productive despite the team’s struggles and currently leads Toronto with 63 points. But he is also receiving criticism for his response after Captain Matthews was injured.
The discussion around the team grew stronger after a Thursday game against the Anaheim Ducks. During the second period, Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas delivered a knee-on-knee hit on Matthews as the Leafs captain tried to move through the slot.
Toronto later confirmed that Matthews suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion, injuries that ended his season.
However, the on-ice reaction from the Maple Leafs players drew attention. Nylander said after the Ducks game that he wished he had reacted differently when the play unfolded.
Speaking about the moment, he said, “Should have probably gone in there. But in the situation at the time, I didn’t really understand until, like, 15 seconds later there was more than what I thought it was. Ya, should have jumped in.”
Toronto analyst Howard Berger later questioned that response on social media. In a post on X, Berger wrote, “In all due respect, does this look like a guy who will stand up to Radko Gudas? Or anyone? The #Leafs need major change…#LeafsForever”.
Toronto and Anaheim will meet again on March 30 in Anaheim. Gudas will be eligible to return from suspension before that game, while Matthews will remain out for the rest of the season. The matchup is already drawing attention because of what happened earlier in March.
