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Nick Kypreos Blasts Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Nov 11, 2025 9:17 AM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped two more games over the weekend and now sit at 8–7–1, near the bottom of the Atlantic Division.

Their latest collapse, a 5–4 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, has fostered scrutiny on captain Auston Matthews from a former Maple Leafs player.

Toronto held a 4–2 but a period and a half remaining, but allowed three straight goals to Carolina, as the Leafs were outshot 47–20 on Sunday.

Now a hockey analyst, Nick Kypreos had some pointed criticism to share during Monday’s edition of Sportsnet's "Real Kyper & Bourne" show as the panel discussed Matthews' slow start to the season.

“Whatever frustration [Craig Berube] is showing, the players aren’t responding. It’s not working.”@RealKyper, @jtbourne & @SamAMckee discuss Craig Berube’s role in #LeafsForever up and down start to the season.

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“(To Matthews' issues) you can add physically, mentally, emotionally — all of it, it's dropped for him,” Kypreos said. “We just know it's visible in the numbers, and what we see is that he's lost an edge.

“They all have to play with an edge, but whatever that means to you, it doesn't mean to me or anyone else, but whatever pilot light was lit, it's pretty dim right now.”

Matthews has 14 points (nine goals, five assists) through 16 games and was on the ice for three of Carolina’s four even-strength goals Sunday, finishing with a minus-1 plus/minus.

Added Kypreos: “He is not hungry. He is not. There’s no edge to him at all — zero. He looks to me like a guy that's just collecting a paycheck right now.”

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) reacts during a stoppage in play.Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Despite recording a goal and an assist, Matthews admitted Toronto didn’t do enough to protect its lead.

“We were fortunate to have a lead after two,” Matthews said. “If it wasn’t for [goalie Dennis Hildeby], three, four breakaways there we gave up he made big saves. It’s kind of been the same stuff. Just details and execution.”

As a collective, the Maple Leafs have given up 60 goals already this season, fourth-most in the league, and are on pace to finish the season with 307 goals against after only allowing 231 last season.

The Leafs will visit the Boston Bruins next on Tuesday night. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET.

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

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