Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews returned to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night and it was a game that certainly caught Craig Berube's attention.
Matthews looked settled in next to Knies and Mitch Marner, with certainly bodes well for the idea that the captain is back to 100 percent.
After the game, head coach Craig Berube spoke about his captain's performance and how they managed his minutes for most of the evening.
"He was solid. That line was really good, obviously. Overall, I thought he played a pretty good game.
I thought he was very smart tonight. He didn't overexert himself or put himself in tough spots.
We managed his minutes pretty well, I thought. I used him a little more at the end of the game, obviously, but it kind of got to that point."
Berube subsequently noted that they will continue to manage Matthews' minutes.
However, the coach also explained how there is no exact method when it comes to managing the captain. They will just have to play it by ear.
"We definitely have to manage him and get him to a point where he is fully healthy. Whether that is minutes or a little bit of time off, I don't know. I don't have the answer for you right now, but we are obviously going to stay in tune with it and try to do what is best for him."
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Philadelphia Flyers, and it will be interesting to see how Matthews responds during a back-to-back.
A win will make it four-in-a-row for the Maple Leafs, and fans are very excited for the team to increase its lead in the Atlantic Division standings.