Winnipeg Jets fans were unkind to Auston Matthews in his first visit to MTS Centre, mercilessly hollering the name of the top two draft pick they believe is the better player throughout.
And they were correct in their assessment, at least on Wednesday night, as their No. 2 overall selection Patrik Laine scored a hat trick in a thrilling come-from-behind overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But for their shouts, and the first glimpse of hostile territory they provided Matthews in his brief history in the NHL, they don't have the Maple Leafs star dreading his next visit to Winnipeg.
"You just got to block it out, have fun with it," Matthews told TSN's Mark Masters of the deafening "Laine's better!" chants heard throughout the third period.
"Winnipeg is a great hockey city, so that's what you get when you go to play these types of teams."
Matthews had a glorious opportunity to net a silencer in overtime, but struck the pad of Michael Hutchinson on his breakaway. The puck then immediately was sent up ice, where Laine, the preferred choice in Winnipeg, collected and fired his third goal of the game into the roof of the net.
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