Auston Matthews usually looks forward to his once-a-season trip to Arizona with his Toronto Maple Leafs, but there were clouds both literal and figurative hanging over his most recent return to his home state.
On the heels of six consecutive losses, the Maple Leafs arrived in Arizona on Nov. 20 and promptly fired their head coach before playing the Coyotes the next night, although the Maple Leafs left with a 3-1 victory over Arizona.
Still, the weather outside, remnants of a tropical storm that dumped rain over the Valley, seemed to match the overall. mood around Matthews’ team.