Auston Matthews was open and honest about his frustrations after a 4th-straight playoff elimination

BarDown Staff

Getty Images

Frustration. Disappointment. Those are just two of the many words to describe what the Leafs and their fans are feeling right now, just days after being eliminated in the qualifying round of the playoffs.

Wednesday, the team spoke to the media about some of those frustrations and Auston Matthews was very honest with how he felt about another early exit in the playoffs.

Auston Matthews on how #Leafs must improve to take the next step: "A lot of it is mindset. We have to figure out playoffs, and how to get out of the first round. I think four years [of losing], obviously it's pretty frustrating and a little bit embarrassing as well."
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) August 12, 2020

Matthews was also asked about Toronto's core group of players amidst the cries from fans for big changes this offseason.

Auston Matthews on #Leafs confidence: "This core believes we're right there. We don't really care what other people think, or how far away other people think we are...we're going to power through this adversity and we'll break through eventually."
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) August 12, 2020

A number of his teammates answered the question about Toronto's core in a similar way, so it's clear they believe in themselves as a group that can get the job done in the future.

Morgan Rielly on #Leafs: "As a core, we believe in what we have and how we play. It's just a matter of doing it more consistently and [playing] harder."
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) August 12, 2020

Jake Muzzin on #Leafs: "If we're not learning from this, we're really losing. I hope guys understand that we've got to dig in to the next level and that'll bring this team further along."
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) August 12, 2020

(H/T: Kristen Shilton)

Getty Images