Maple Leafs Auston Matthews Is Heating Up: What's the Limit?

A familiar sight has returned to Toronto. Auston Matthews is scoring goals, setting up teammates, and looking much more like the player Maple Leafs fans expect. After a quiet start to the season, the captain has caught fire, and it's been fun to watch.

Matthews has recorded five goals and seven assists for 12 points over his last five games. He's added four power-play points during that stretch, too. In Tuesday's 5-4 loss to Utah, he scored a power-play goal and added an assist. The Maple Leafs didn't get the result they wanted, but Matthews certainly did his part. And that's encouraging.

For the past couple of seasons, Matthews hasn't always looked quite like the unstoppable goal scorer we remember. Injuries and stretches of inconsistent production have complicated the picture. Nobody needs a reminder of what he can do when he's right. We've watched him score 60 goals in a season. The question is whether he can put together another long stretch of that kind of hockey.

After a slow start, Matthews has exploded offensively.

The interesting part is that Matthews did little during Toronto's first two games. Since then, he's put together this five-game point streak and started to look more comfortable offensively. He's shooting, creating chances, and finding ways to contribute even when the Maple Leafs aren't playing their best hockey.

If he stays healthy and keeps shooting the puck, another 40-goal season certainly looks possible. That's a reasonable expectation for a player with his history.

Still, I'm curious about what this season will look like for Matthews. The Maple Leafs have plenty to sort out, and a hot streak from their captain won't solve every problem overnight. Can he keep producing when the opposition starts paying even more attention to him? Can he stay healthy through the grind of an NHL season? And will the team around him support him enough to make those goals count?

Those are bigger questions than whether he can score in five straight games.

Fans need to enjoy Matthews’ run, but keep watching.

One thing I've learned watching hockey is that it's easy to get carried away after a good week. We start projecting big numbers, imagining a turnaround, and convincing ourselves that everything is about to fall into place. Maybe it will. Matthews has certainly given fans a reason to feel better about his game.

For now, I'd rather enjoy watching him find his stride and see where it takes him. Great players don't stop being great because they've had a difficult stretch, but getting back to their best isn't always as simple as flipping a switch.

Matthews looks like he's found something lately. The fun part will be finding out whether this is a hot week or the beginning of a much bigger season.