Matthews, who might have been chasing 50 goals in the abbreviated season had he not played a bunch of games with a wrist injury – and missed four games entirely – snatched two goals in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 5-1 win on Saturday.
“I thought we played a very strong two periods and a game-breaker gets two goals, and you miss that,” Green told reporters when asked for a Matthews-Pettersson comparison. “It’s not an excuse but I’m not going to sit here and say we don’t miss that in our lineup. They’re difference-makers, they create chances, they alleviate pressure easily, not just in the offensive zone but in your own zone. But we can’t dwell on that and we haven’t been.”