Auston Matthews revealed this morning that Jim Hiller stays quiet after Maple Leafs games, and Toronto has now lost five straight.
The Maple Leafs fell 5-2 to Minnesota on Thursday night, and Matthews addressed how the head coach handles the room once the game is over.
A Maple Leafs news account relayed the captain's comments, saying Matthews told reporters Hiller hasn't been speaking to the team after games. Matthews said: "He usually doesn't speak after games, so I'm sure we'll continue to try to clean some stuff up, go over video and make adjustments."
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So the work happens later, in the video room and at practice. Matthews' answer was heading toward minimizing "those big…" when the post cuts off, but the plan he describes is clear enough: clean up, review, adjust.
That fits the tone Matthews set on Monday, when Auston Matthews sent a warning to his teammates about the losing.
Thursday didn't go the way anyone in Toronto wanted. Matthews scored and put two shots on goal in 21:40 of ice time, but Matthew Boldy scored three times for Minnesota, and Anthony Stolarz stopped 21 of 25 shots.
The Maple Leafs are 8-11-2, which puts them 23rd in the NHL and seventh in the Atlantic Division. They are 3-7-0 over their last 10, and they are 4-8-1 at home.
Is Jim Hiller's silence a problem for the Maple Leafs?
Matthews framed it as routine, and Matthews' earlier explanation of Hiller's postgame approach points the same way. A coach who waits for the video before he talks is not unusual, and nothing in Matthews' words suggests tension in the room.
But a coach with a team on a five-game losing streak and a 4-8-1 home record is going to be asked why nothing is said in the moment. Silence works when the results are fine. When they aren't, it looks like a choice, and a questionable one.
Matthews is doing his part. He has 12 goals and 29 points in 21 games this season, and he is the one standing at the podium explaining the losses.
The next test comes Saturday, November 14, when the Maple Leafs host the Edmonton Oilers. Whether Hiller speaks after that game, win or lose, will be watched closely.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
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