Auston Matthews Is The Greatest Goal Scorer Of His Lifetime
Zac BonDurant. Getty Images.It was an unseasonably cool day in September of 1997. Mother nature was clearly preparing for one of the greatest goal scorers in hockey history to be brought into this world.
Wayne Gretzky still had 2 seasons left in his NHL career, but he wasn't putting the puck in the back of the net like he used to. Mario Lemieux had just retired for the first time, and despite coming back to play for 5 more seasons after that, he wasn't the same Mario that put up 85 goals in 1989. Brett Hull had a few killer years in the early 90s, but he wouldn't score 40 in a season again after 1997.
Those are the only 3 guys in the history of the league to ever put up at least 80 tucks in an NHL season. But in September of 1997, there was another menace on the way who would eventually give them a run for their money.
It took Kevin Stevens 62 games to score 50 in the 1992-93 season. Auston Matthews wasn't even a twinkle in his daddy's eye at that point, but it was the fastest that a US-born player ever scored 50 in a season. Obviously Gretzky has the all-time record with just 39 games, but the most recent fastest to get to 50 was Mario Lemieux who went 50 in 50 during the 1995-96 season.
Number 51 might not have been a goal that makes it onto Matthews' career highlight reel when all is said and done, but it still puts him one more closer to hitting 80.
Off the shoulder and in the back of the net. They don't ask how, they ask how many. And right now, Auston Matthews is on pace to create 77 more faceoffs at center ice this year.
That's a 77-goal pace with zero empty netters all year. You start putting him out there at the end of games a little more during these last 25 games for the Leafs and maybe he finds a way to close up that gap. Even with 77 goals, that would put him at 5th all time behind Gretzky x2, Hull, and Mario.
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And some stars are so big that the moment just naturally gravitates towards them. The Toronto Maple Leafs play one game in Arizona all year. It could have been the 20th game of the season where he wouldn't have a chance at putting up his 50th of the year. But somehow the schedule works out where he can hit the 50 milestone in front of the hometown crowd.
Sick, sick player. Here's to hoping every goalie the Leafs play in these last 25 games gets lit up like the 4th of July. USA! USA! USA! USA!