from Michael Traikos of the National Post,

A year ago, Auston Matthews went into the playoffs saying he wanted to be like Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby. Forget about the regular season, he said. He wanted to be one of those players who make a difference — and a name for themselves — when the games really matter.

Then the Toronto Maple Leafs went out in the first round in a series in which Matthews was ineffective and underutilized, prompting head coach Mike Babcock to travel to Matthews’ home in Arizona in the off-season to smooth things over.

This year, don’t expect Babcock to book any flights out west anytime soon.

Matthews has a long ways to go before he enters the rarefied air of Toews or Crosby. But the 21-year-old is making a difference against the Boston Bruins. With four goals in this series — including the first goal in a 2-1 win in a pivotal Game 5 that gave Toronto a chance to advance to the second round on Sunday — he’s certainly making a name for himself as a big-game performer.

“I thought tonight, this was his best 200-foot game of the playoffs,” said Babcock. “I thought he played great. I was impressed with him and I was proud for him. He should feel good about himself.”

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