Ex-Leafs GM Brian Burke Makes Ridiculous Joke About Leafs Captain Auston Matthews
The Leafs have done fairly well in the past without their captain Auston Matthews in the lineup, and now ex-Leaf GM Brian Burke made a ridiculous joke about this.
Without star Auston Matthews for Tuesday's matchup, the Toronto Maple Leafs came out and absolutely dominated, beating the Boston Bruins 4-0 at Scotiabank Arena. Goaltender Anthony Stolarz was stellar to help earn the shutout win, pushing the record to an incredible 36-19-2 in games without Matthews.
The day after the win, former Leafs GM Brian Burke appeared on "Leafs Morning Take" alongside hosts Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill to talk about the game. Asked about the Leafs' great record without Matthews, Burke said in a joking fashion they should "get rid of him," attempting to follow the suggestion up with laughter immediately.
He elaborated to say that the success without Matthews probably came from all players understanding their needs to elevate their game, filling in whatever was missing by way of stardom. This need to elevate themselves makes the Leafs a formidable team, even without one of the best players.
Trading a generational talent like Matthews is, of course, out of the question. Just last season, Matthews scored 69 goals, a feat not seen since Mario Lemieux's prime. Burke did say that while the Leafs aren't truly better without Matthews, the intensity and teamwork they display in his absence are qualities fans wish they'd show more consistently.
Moving forward, Auston Matthews should have a really good possibility of returning to the lineup this weekend when the Leafs face back-to-back games with the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens. Should he not be ready then, his next opportunity would be November 12 against the Ottawa Senators.
