Babcock, Matthews 'don't seem to' have issues on Maple Leafs

TORONTO -- Mike Babcock and Auston Matthews each denied there is any kind of rift between the Toronto Maple Leafs coach and their No. 1 center.

"I asked him flat out, 'Do we have any (issues)?'" Babcock said Friday. "He was sitting right there. We don't seem to."
Matthews seemed irked by a Sportsnet report following a Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins that he and Babcock were at odds.
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"I don't know what that's all about," he said. "Our relationship's fine. Obviously, you guys can speculate all you want, but I think it's pointless.
"Stuff happens, people speculate. I can tell you right now it's not the case."
Babcock and Matthews discussed the issue during an end-of-season meeting Friday. Babcock on Thursday received a text from a friend referring to a report suggesting the strained relationship with Matthews.
"I said, 'What's going on?'" Babcock said. "It's interesting, in Toronto, you (media) do such a good job. You're everywhere. You're under the bench, you're in the crack in the door, you're in the car, you're in the parking lot. You're everywhere, and anytime anybody does anything, there's a big story."
Sportsnet analyst Nick Kypreos on Thursday said Babcock had lost Matthews for various reasons, and that the 20-year-old has trust issues with his coach.

Matthews had one goal and one assist in the Eastern Conference First Round loss to the Bruins. He had 63 points (34 goals, 29 assists) in 62 games during the regular season.
Matthews played six shifts for 4:05 in the second period of the 7-4, Game 7 loss. He looked noticeably unhappy sitting on the bench in the third, when he played 8:16 and Toronto allowed four goals.
"Auston was [angry] in the third period, in the last 10 minutes of the last game," Babcock said. "Probably 23 other guys on the team were the same."
Babcock mentioned the back injury that caused Matthews to miss four games (Nov. 8-16) as a factor for his lack of production in the playoffs.

"He's never been able to skate (at his full-speed potential) since then," Babcock said.
Matthews also missed six games with a concussion (Dec. 10-20) and 10 games with a shoulder injury (Feb. 24-March 20).
Babcock was questioned during the series for not having Matthews on the first power-play unit. Forwards Tyler Bozak, Mitchell Marner, William Nylander and James van Riemsdyk, and defenseman Morgan Rielly had more power-play time in the series than Matthews' 11:27.
Matthews and Marner (69 points; 22 goals, 47 assists) each said they would like to be linemates next season. They played 72:46 together at 5-on-5 over 62 games in the regular season.
"Auston's a young man trying to be the best player in the world," Babcock said. "The hardest part in life is when you're disappointed and you thought you maybe could have done more. I know that from me as a coach ... it makes you sick, almost.
"He's a good young man. We're lucky to have him. I'm lucky to get to coach him, and we continue to grow our product here with him leading the way."