Auston Matthews first Leaf in 63 years to achieve this extraordinary milestone
Auston Matthews hit the ground running when he came into the NHL, scoring at will, and now, it appears that he's only getting better with age and is beginning to break records.
In the Maple Leafs latest win over the Anaheim Ducks, Matthews netted the OT winner, his 30th goal this season in game number 35, and while that's impressive on its own, he's also making franchise history.
With that goal, Matthews is the first person to pass 30 goals in 35 games since Frank Mahovlich way back in 1960-61 when there were just six teams in the NHL to pass that goal mark so quickly, and it keeps him on pace to pass 70 goals in 2023-24.
Beyond that, Matthews' OT winner was the 11th goal scored in extra time in his career, taking him into outright second in Maple Leafs history, passing teammate William Nylander who currently sits on an equally impressive 10.
Now, No. 34 sits just five goals behind franchise icon Mats Sundin for the franchise record, and with his contract locking him into Toronto for at least the next five seasons, it's safe to say that if the team continue going to OT at this rate, there's no doubting he'll be No. 1 on that list too.
While Matthews currently sits 5th on the Maple Leafs all-time goal scoring leaderboard, there is under 100 goals separating him and Sundin once more, so at this pace, it's clear he's going to become arguably the greatest to ever pull on the iconic Maple Leafs jersey.
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| POLL | ||
Will Auston Matthews score 70+ goals in 2023-24? | ||
| Yes | 414 | 47 % |
| No | 466 | 53 % |
| List of polls | ||
