Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Auston Matthews Sends Message After Another Maple Leafs Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Dec 21, 2025 9:26 AM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs let another game slip away Saturday, falling 5–3 to the Nashville Predators and extending their slump to four losses in five games.

Despite early signs of recovery, the Leafs left Nashville with zero points and more questions about their trajectory and mental strength in all situations.

Toronto entered Saturday’s game aiming to bounce back from a Thursday loss to the Washington Capitals, but while the team showed more structure early and took two separate leads, the Predators tied the game late in the second and never trailed again.

The Maple Leafs sit last in the Atlantic Division, with a matchup against the Dallas Stars looming less than 24 hours later in the second matchup of this weekend's back-to-back affair.

️| Auston Matthews | Post Game vs. Nashville Predators | Dec 20 pic.twitter.com/39ZUfhlgzm
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 21, 2025

Amid the never-ending slump Toronto is navigating, captain Auston Matthews sent a positive message regarding the mindset within the Leafs' locker room.

“Mentally we’re fine,” Matthews said. “Tonight, I mean, as [expletive] as it is losing, I thought the process was better. I thought we had good energy all night.”

Matthews emphasized the team’s communication, improved puck movement and commitment to staying more structured on defense as reasons for optimism.

“Even though you are leaving the rink upset about not getting any points from the game,” Matthews said, “the process we had throughout is something we can take and move forward with, knowing some of the good things we did and trying to channel that throughout a full 60 [minutes].”

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) holds the blade of his stick prior to a faceoff against the Washington Capitals.Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Matthews also addressed his personal struggles, as he remains without a point through two games on the current road trip and is minus-6 over that stretch.

“It’s never easy, it’s never fun,” Matthews said. “You just got to mentally grind through it. It’s one of those things that I’ve been through before, and you learn to deal with it.”

The Leafs will face the Stars on the road on Sunday, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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