Despite hot start, Matthews still working to improve Auston Matthews is off to a hot start this season, posting five goals and three assists in Toronto’s opening five games. Among the goals are two overtime winners. And yet as TSN's Mark Masters explains, there are still areas in need of improvement.

The Maple Leafs practiced at the MasterCard Centre on Monday.

Auston Matthews is off to a hot start this season, posting five goals and three assists in Toronto’s opening five games. Among the goals are two overtime winners. And yet, there are still areas in need of improvement.

“We had a good meeting here today just about some things that we need him to clean up,” Mike Babcock revealed. "But that's (something we do) with every player."

Neither the player or coach wanted to get into great detail.

“You can always be better in a bunch of different areas, not just specifically one,” Matthews said. “So, I want to be a complete player and there’s always stuff you can work on.”

Matthews sure looks like a complete player these days as he deftly handles the tough match-ups, often producing a highlight-reel play or two in each game. On Saturday night in Montreal his incredible hand-eye co-ordination was on display on both his goals and even on a disallowed one, in which he batted the puck twice in the air.

“It seems like any puck, no matter if it’s on the ice, off the ice, bouncing, any puck that’s within any circumference of his body, he’s finding a way to track down, settle it and make a good play with it,” James van Riemsdyk observed.

Matthews is a baseball fan and grew up playing America’s favourite pastime until he was around 13 years old. He believes that experience likely helped him hone his hand-eye skills.

What kind of hitter was he?

“Power for sure,” he said with a big smile. “Yeah, not much into average.”

Matthews has also shown off his creativity early in the year, flipping the puck into open space before tracking it down for his first goal on Saturday. The 20-year-old attended a skills camp hosted by Leafs player development consultant Darryl Belfry in the summer, which helped him add some new elements to his game.

“Just reinventing yourself and finding different ways to produce and different areas and different ways to score goals,” said Matthews of his off-season work.

“Obviously, I saw him grow every day last year,” Babcock said, “and I think he’s doing the same (now). I think he had a good summer. Obviously, it was specific.”

The chemistry between Matthews and William Nylander also continues to grow. After Saturday’s win, the Swede said the pair think the game the same way which, more than anything, is why they click so well. Where is that most evident?

“Ah, probably in the offensive zone,” Matthews said with a chuckle. “We’re both pretty skilled guys. We do different things, but, all in all, we want to create opportunities for each other and play on offence. That’s where we let our instinct take over.

“We’re very comfortable with each other and (making) different plays where you know where each other’s going to be and you don’t really have to look.”

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It was while answering a question about Matthews that Babcock pivoted to his general philosophy on getting the most out of players.

“Our job’s to try and make them better and their job’s to focus on themselves, take some responsibility and own everything they do,” the coach explained. “So, when things go bad for you, it’s no one’s fault except your own and if you own everything you do you’re in control of it. As soon as you play the blame game or it’s something else, now you’re not in control of that any more and, as a person in charge of your life you want to be in control.”

Mitch Marner is certainly owning his sluggish start.

“It's been not the way, I think, I want it to go,” he admitted on Monday. “But, it’s still early in the season, which is important. Just got to build back and make sure you’re working hard every day.”

Marner skated on the fourth line with Matt Martin and Dominic Moore at practice while Connor Brown moved up to play with van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak.

“Defensively, right now, I’m not too happy with how that’s going,” said Marner, whose minus-6 ranks last on the team.

Marner has four points and a positive Corsi (58.1 per cent) this season, but has also turned over the puck and lost coverage at some inopportune times. What is the biggest challenge defensively?

“I think just all (the) options,” he said. “You got to keep your eyes open for every guy coming in late no matter how much time the person has. That’s the biggest difference, just making sure you have your eyes open at all times and watching your back.”

Babcock did his best to downplay the changes.

“Let’s not read too much into this,” he said when asked about Marner’s defensive issues. “Their line wasn’t going so tie goes to the veteran. How’s that? He just happens to be the kid on the line. That’s it.”

The line of JvR-Bozak-Marner has been on the ice for seven of Toronto's 12 even-strength goals against this season.

“Definitely been on the ice for too many goals against,” said van Riemsdyk, who leads all Leafs forwards with four giveaways. “That’s a combination of some things we can do better and some unfortunate luck. Obviously, kind of a small sample of five games. We know we can do some things a little better defensively.”

Asked about his new assignment, Marner was upbeat.

“I don’t think we really have a fourth line. I think all of our lines are really skilled,” he said. “It’s going to be exciting. They both work very hard and get the puck back and they’re always around the net so, I mean, it’s just going to be about trying to get open for those two guys and try to get the puck in their hands around the net.”

What’s the message from Babcock and the staff?

“Just to work harder,” Marner said. “I mean, that’s the main thing here. Just trying to get better as a player, defensively and offensively, and that’s just work ethic.”

This is the first time Babcock has tinkered with his top-nine forward group since the start of training camp. Even though Toronto has won four of five, he still believed a move needed to be made.

“You got to have all your units going and we’re trying to do that,” Babcock said. “It was a big win for us in Montreal, we hadn’t won there in a long time, but, in saying that, we didn’t feel we generated a lot. We didn’t think they generated a lot. We felt we could be way better as a team and so we got to find a way to be better ... We try to be solution-based every day here. When we win, everything’s not always great. When we lose, everything’s not always bad.”

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The Leafs will face the Capitals on Tuesday for the first time since last spring’s post-season showdown, which Washington won in six games. Every game was decided by one goal with five going to overtime.

So, are the Leafs expecting more emotion than usual?

“Definitely," van Riemsdyk said. "With how hard-fought that series was, a lot of close games, all the overtime games, it’s obviously a little different than just a regular game.”

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville noted last week that the playoff experience likely taught the young Leafs what it takes to win at the toughest time of the year.

“They had so much experience,” said Matthews, reflecting on the series. “Guys who had been around, been in the playoffs. Obviously, they won the Presidents’ Trophy and it was deemed to be their year and they were hungry to get in there and it was a good test for us. It definitely showed us a lot about ourselves.”

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After the game in Washington, the Leafs will return home to face the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. It will be the first of 14 back-to-back sets for Toronto this season. Babcock confirmed both goalies will get a start in the games. Curtis McElhinney has yet to play this season.

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Lines at Leafs practice on Monday:

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander

Marleau-Kadri-Komarov

van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Brown

Martin-Moore/Fehr-Marner

Leivo

Gardiner-Zaitsev

Rielly-Hainsey

Rosen-Carrick

Borgman-Polak

Andersen

McElhinney