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The Toronto Maple Leafs have played two games since Auston Matthews went down with a season-ending injury.
They lost in a shootout to the first-place Buffalo Sabres, picking up a point in the process, and then beat the high-powered Minnesota Wild on Sunday night, 4-2.
So that's three points out of four since Matthews went down.
Small sample size? Yes. Notable? Also potentially yes.
Maple Leafs analyst JD Bunkis, on Sportsnet 590, had a take on the matter.
"The effort and compete levels are completely night and day since the captain left," Bunkis said.
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That's not exactly what you want to hear if you're Matthews.
Why would the Leafs be playing harder since his season ended? Is it an indictment of Matthews' leadership? Or is it more of an added motivation to keep doing what they can even without their leader?
It's hard to really know from outside the locker room, but it's not an ideal thing to happen regardless.
The most telling indicator may not come until the offseason. That's when some will begin to suggest Matthews as a trade candidate.
If the Maple Leafs do everything they can to keep him, and even potentially extend him, then it's less of a worry.
If Toronto seems to legitimately consider Matthews trades, that may say he's not an ideal fit for the roster.
For now, though, it's just a Maple Leafs team without Matthews playing out the string on a rough season. There's only so much to be learned.
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