Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews has forgotten what it means to be captain

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Florida Panthers on Thursday and have now lost two consecutive games since returning from the Olympic break. Captain Auston Matthews came out to face the music.

Matthews, 28, spoke to reporters after the 1-5 loss to Florida, explaining that one of the problems was that Toronto lacked the same "urgency" as its rivals.

"I didn't think we had the same level of urgency and detail that they had," he said. "They got three there in the first. I thought our second and third, we competed hard and played much better, but it's hard to dig yourself out of a hole against a team that defends really hard.

"I don't think concern is the right word. I just think we need more desperation, some more fire, especially to start games," Matthews added. "I thought our start wasn't great, but in the second and third period, we competed, guys worked. We did a lot of good things, but we need to turn it into a full 60-minute effort."

Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews must rediscover his captaincy

Self-criticism is fine, but it's not enough. Clearly, his speech is disconnected from reality. The recent Olympic champion is talking about urgency; however, they just allowed three goals in the first period against the Panthers and have conceded nine goals while scoring only three in their last two games.

Matthews, as team captain, knows what the problem is. But it's clear that his leadership is not transforming any behavior in the rest of the squad.

What Matthews and the rest of Team USA accomplished in Milan was historic. They deserve their moment of recognition and congratulations, but in a sport like hockey, they have to learn to turn the page quickly. After the break, the Maple Leafs look even worse. Their moment of glory at the Olympics is not translating to the level their team needs right now.

The problem is not just the Mexican-American forward, but it's evident that he is failing to be that reference point that pushes the group. He needs to react.