GLENDALE, ARIZ.

Yes, it was an Auston Matthews homecoming in the desert on Friday, but the explosive Leafs rookie was sure to have his sidekick along for the ride.

While Matthews is so talented that he would likely be enjoying success with whoever his linemates are, the work of winger Zach Hyman shouldn’t be underestimated. Together for the first 32 games of the Leafs season, it has been a perfect match in an impressive rookie season for both.

Whether it’s creating space, or wreaking havoc in front of the opposition net, Hyman’s gritty hustle has been a big part of Matthews’ early evolution.

“The strengths of (Hyman’s) game complement the strengths of Auston’s game,” Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk said. “He’s very good at getting in on the forecheck and disrupting things and getting pucks back.

“He’s really effective at going to the net hard, does all of those detail things that make a big difference.”

Hyman couldn’t have landed in a better spot to being his NHL career, both with a linemate like Matthews and a head coach like Mike Babcock. And his position on the wing alongside Matthews may not have happened completely by accident.

When Babcock was coaching the Red Wings, he took the occasional trip to nearby Ann Arbor to watch future Detroit first-rounder Dylan Larkin and the Michigan Wolverines.

And duly noted on those trips was the play of Hyman, who regularly fed Larkin the puck. In his senior year at Michigan, Hyman was an all-American and led his team in scoring with 54 points (22 goals, 32 assists), seven more than Larkin, who was in his freshman season.

“At that point, I was part of the Florida organization and I didn’t think about who was watching,” said Hyman, who was selected in the fifth round, 123rd overall, in the 2010 NHL entry draft. “I just went out and played my game. It was great the way everything has worked and fallen together.”

By any measure, Hyman has been a savvy pickup for the Leafs, coming to Toronto on what at first blush seemed a minor deal, sending Gregg McKegg to Panthers. Finding a linemate for a budding star is no easy task, but Babcock settled on the Toronto native right away.

And with Connor Brown the third regular, the all-rookie unit has been impressive with and without the puck. Babcock likes to keep pairs together, but he also doesn’t like to have a line loaded with three players who just want the puck.

Hyman’s ability to force turnovers, dig in the corners and get in a goaltender’s face have served him well.

“Some guys are pure passers so they need more shooters with them, but Auston likes to shoot the puck as you can see and he likes people that can get it to him,” Babcock said recently.

Which isn’t to say that Hyman doesn’t have talent to go with his grit. His five goals and six assists so far this season are modest totals, but he’s also getting his opportunities.

“You have to have skill to play with guys like Matthews,” van Riemsdyk said. “Creating a lot of turnovers and being heavy on the puck is also important. That line has complemented each other really well the whole year.”

For his part, Hyman continues to make the best of his situation. Friday’s meeting with the Coyotes was to be his 33rd game this season, more than doubling the 16 he played in 2015-16. That taste served him well, however, and though he doesn’t intend to take anything for granted, it certainly appears as if the 24-year-old is with the Leafs to stay.

“Any time you are playing a lot, you feel good about your game and when you have the coach’s confidence, it’s important,” Hyman said. “But I don’t think that changes the way you play.

“You go out there and play your game, something I’ve done from the start of the season. You try to earn the coach’s trust and that’s important. But we’re all out here to make this team better and I’m just trying to do my part. I try not to look too far ahead, but you have goals.

“You don’t want to just make the NHL, you want to be an established player and have a long career. That’s something that’s important to me.”

And so far, important to the development of Auston Matthews.

BROWN FITTING IN ON YOUTH LINE

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Leafs coach Mike Babcock has had the Auston Matthews-Zach Hyman connection working since the start of the season.

And now, it seems, he’s settled on a permanent third with Connor Brown filling out the trio.

“They just work,” Babcock said on Friday when asked what he likes about the combo. “They’re good players, they work hard and they bring it every night is what happens. That’s what I like about them.

“When you’re looking to hire people and you want to have people in your organization, if you hire ‘every dayers’ you don’t have to worry about it. (Matthews, Hyman and Brown) just do it and they make people around them better.”

Matthews, of course, leads the team in scoring, but Brown continues to chip in offensively and has the speed and skill to complement the other two.

“Those guys are a lot alike that and they make us better every day,” Babock said. “They all drive the hockey team.”

rlongley@postmedia.com

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