The bright lights of Scotiabank Arena cast long shadows across the ice, but none longer than the one trailing behind Auston Matthews—Toronto’s golden boy, Rocket Richard winner, and the face of a franchise desperate for answers. After yet another disjointed power play, Matthews skates slowly toward goaltender Joseph Woll, offering a muted congratulations after a rare victory over the Florida Panthers. The cameras catch a fleeting smile, but beneath the surface, the storm is brewing. In the heart of hockey’s most scrutinized market, a single question is echoing from the press box to the nosebleeds: how can a generational sniper be reduced to a bystander on the power play?

On Thursday, Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons didn’t hold back. His words cut through the city’s hockey discourse like a slap shot through thin air—calling the Leafs’ recent usage of Matthews “a disgrace to hockey.” It’s a phrase that reverberates with the kind of outrage that only Toronto can muster, and it’s easy to see why. The Leafs, once feared for their lethal man advantage, now languish at 27th in the NHL, their power play sputtering at a paltry 15.15%. The numbers are damning, but the real mystery lies in the decisions behind the bench: Matthews, one of the game’s most prolific goal scorers, has just a single power play goal this season. For a player who has averaged 13 power play tallies since 2018-19, that’s not just a slump—it’s a strategic failure.

The confusion deepens with every shift. Gone are the days when Matthews would lurk on the right flank, his stick cocked and ready for a one-timer that could bring the house down. Instead, he’s been repositioned as the quarterback of a five-forward unit, orchestrating plays from the point—a role better suited for a playmaker like Mitch Marner or a defenseman with vision, not a sniper whose greatest weapon is his shot. Simmons’ blistering critique isn’t just hyperbole; it’s rooted in the cold reality of the Leafs’ struggles. Coming into Thursday’s clash with Carolina, Matthews ranked 144th in the league in power play goals, a staggering statistic for a player of his caliber.

It’s not just the media that’s restless. Fans, analysts, and even former players are left shaking their heads, wondering how a team with so much offensive firepower can look so toothless when given the man advantage. The Leafs have cycled through personnel, tactics, and assistant coaches, but the results remain the same: 2-for-20 on the power play in recent games, and a dismal 6-for-54 outside a brief midseason surge. All eyes are now on assistant coach Marc Savard, whose system has yet to unlock Matthews’ full potential.

Tonight, the Leafs face the Carolina Hurricanes and their vulnerable penalty kill, ranked 22nd in the NHL. It’s a matchup ripe for redemption—or for further embarrassment. Will Toronto finally unleash Matthews’ one-timer, or will the “disgrace” continue to haunt the league’s most passionate hockey city? One thing is certain: the answers, and the consequences, are coming—shift by shift, shot by shot, under the unforgiving glare of Toronto’s hockey spotlight.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews congratulating goaltender Joseph Woll after a victory over the Florida Panthers.

Photo credit: Sam Navarro – Imagn Images

Toronto columnist Steve Simmons eviscerated the Maple Leafs on Thursday for how they’ve used Auston Matthews of late, citing it as ‘a disgrace to hockey’.

A massive reason as to why the Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled so much this season is due to their abysmal power play that ranked 27th league-wide ahead of Thursday’s clash in Carolina, at just a 15.15% success rate.

The Leafs have generally had one of the league’s best man advantages in recent years, but the power play has disappointed under assistant coach Marc Savard’s watch, and this year is no different.

Perhaps the most perplexing part of their struggles is that Auston Matthews has just 1 power play goal on the season. Last year he tallied 10, which was his lowest total since his sophomore season, but he has averaged 13 per season since 2018-19.

One reason why that might be is because the Leafs are using him as the quarterback on their 5-forward unit at the moment, rather than using his best attribute – his one-timer. This usage is what Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons believes is a “disgrace to hockey”.

We’ve seen in our lifetime, what I would say are 4 or 5 absolute elite goal scorers, and Auston Matthews is one of those guys. What in [God’s name] he’s doing at the point of the power play is a disgrace to hockey. We’re talking about a top-3 shooter in the NHL and he’s not in position, he has one power play goal.

Once the Leafs ditched Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson from their top unit this year, someone had to take over as the quarterback. In previous years, that was a job for the playmaking Mitch Marner, not the Rocket Richard winning Matthews.

While Simmons can be known to have outrageous takes, this is one where he’s spot on. Coming into play against the Florida Panthers, Simmons added that Matthews was 144th in the league in power play goals. Of course that number will change, but it paints a picture of their current struggles, as well as giving them a painfully obvious solution moving forward. Put Matthews back on the right flank.

The Leafs are 2 for their last 20 on the man advantage before tonight, and outside of a 4-12 stretch in the middle of the season, they’re 6 for 54. Something has to change and it starts with positioning Matthews to use his one-timer far more often.

The NHL’s 22nd ranked penalty kill belongs to tonight’s opponent, the Carolina Hurricanes, so it will be interesting to see if they how they come out of this one.