The winner will be announced at the 2017 NHL Awards at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on June 21 (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN).
\[RELATED: Complete guide to NHL Trophies and all-time winners\]
"Yeah, it was pretty special," Matthews said after the Maple Leafs morning skate Friday. "It was a big honor to find that out Thursday*
His first playoff goal started the Maple Leafs' comeback from an early two-goal deficit in a 4-3 overtime win in Game 3. Matthews scored again in Game 4, but Toronto fell short in a 5-4 defeat.
"I think he just keeps getting better and better," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "I thought he was outstanding for us last game. He played when the game was on the line and he pushed us back. To me, he's a 200-[foot player] with and without (the puck), and he's learned a lot this year. What I like about him is he's just steady and [does a] great assessment of himself. He doesn't get ahead of himself, evaluates himself good, takes ownership for what he does right and what he does wrong. Obviously he's got a bright future."
After feeling his way through the first two games, Matthews has looked more confident as the series has progressed and has adjusted to the speed, physicality and intensity of playoff hockey.
"Each game, myself personally, I feel like I've gotten better," he said. "You kind of get more comfortable each and every night to expect not too much space. It's pretty physical, a lot of 50-50 battles that you got to make sure you're winning. I think that's kind of been the key for us, for everybody, just trying to get better each game and [Game 5 is] a big one for us."
Although the Maple Leafs lost Game 4, they feel good about the position they are in against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Capitals.
"I don't think too many people really expected us to at one point be leading the series and now have a tied series at Game 5," Matthews said. "Us in the locker room, we feel like we're in a pretty good position right now and this will be a pretty pivotal game tonight."
"I think if I would have told the guys at the start of the series we're going to be in a best two out of three they would have done cartwheels," Babcock said. "So here we are. Let's go. Teams are going home now, you can see, so pretty soon there's only eight and if you want to be one of them, you dig in."
