I Am Not Leaving Says Maple Leaf Auston Matthews As His Exploits Arouse Interest From …
He’s the best goal scorer in league. I don’t know what else to tell you.”
Yes, we know. And we know that you know, William. But even by Auston Matthews’ standard…he’s finding new ways to top himself seemingly every night this season.
Matthews pacing the league in goals is obviously nothing new. Barring an injury or a late charge from the Florida Panthers’ Sam Reinhart, Matthews will run away with his third Rocket Richard Trophy in the last four seasons. But even for him…it feels like he’s somehow found a way to level up.
In the second period of the Leafs’ 4-3 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers Thursday night: bang, bang, bang.
Matthews buried a natural hat trick in *checks notes* 7:49, the first and third on his patented laser wrister, the second on a bad-angle one timer.
They’re a really stingy team, they play really hard both sides of the puck…so it’s just sticking with it, staying patient, trying to work them shift after shift, eventually getting those opportunities and capitalizing on them,” Matthews said.
Not only did it give him 45 goals in 51 games, it gave him five hat tricks on the year. For perspective: off-season signing Max Domi has five goals. Tyler Bertuzzi has six. Matthews has departed Planet Earth.
We know by now he’s an exceptional player,” said Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe. “The year he got 60, that tear he was on towards the end of the season, it seems like he’s been on that all season to this point. So it’s exceptional. There’s not much else to say. Game changing tonight.
Still stating the obvious? Maybe. Matthews is pretty clearly the greatest raw talent in team history. After longtime teammate Mitch Marner assisted on two of Matthews’ goals Thursday, the duo set a franchise record for the most goals involving two teammates with 211. They are 26 years old.
But is Matthews outdoing every other individual Leaf performance, ever, including his own previous bests, this season? Is he in the midst of the greatest single season performance in the franchise’s 106-year history?