TORONTO — The Maple Leafs knew there were plenty of built-in excuses.
Just back from a California road trip, the jet lag had yet to lift, bodies were tired, and it had been more than a week and a half since the luxury of a day off — all with one of the NHL's hottest teams waiting on deck.
None of it mattered.
Auston Matthews scored three times to register the fourth hat trick of his career as the scorching Leafs thumped the Colorado Avalanche 8-3 on Wednesday night.
John Tavares added a goal and two assists for Toronto (17-6-1), while William Nylander scored and set up another.