TEMPE, Ariz. — Auston Matthews scored his fiftieth aim of the season Wednesday night time within the Toronto Maple Leafs star’s hometown return, turning into the quickest NHL participant to achieve that mark in 28 years.
Taking part in his 54th recreation of the season, Matthews scored 5:01 into the sport on an influence play to provide Toronto a 2-0 lead over the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Area. He added his 51st — giving him 350 profession targets in 535 video games — late within the second interval for a 4-2 lead.
The Maple Leafs went on to win 6-3.
“It is nice. It is a small step within the lengthy season, however clearly coming to play at dwelling and taking part in a workforce that has had our quantity for the final couple of seasons … it was a superb win, a superb effort, everyone contributed,” Matthews mentioned. “I am going to take the 2 factors and get again at it tomorrow.”
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From close by Scottsdale, the 26-year-old middle first scored Wednesday night time on a shot from the circle to the left of goaltender Karel Vejmelka. Mitchell Marner and Timothy Liljegren assisted on the aim that got here with Arizona’s Michael Carcone within the penalty field for slashing. Matthews then scored off a rebound within the second interval.
“We had a few energy performs and have been sort of in a position to snap it round. I simply tried to get open, and [Marner has] the puck and he is received a terrific sense of the place I’m on the ice and vice versa,” Matthews mentioned. “We simply attempt to push ourselves to be the perfect that we could be individually and the perfect teammates we could be.”
Mario Lemieux achieved the milestone in 50 video games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1995-96. The quickest was Wayne Gretzky, who received his fiftieth in his thirty ninth recreation for Edmonton in 1981-82 on his method to a document 92 targets.
Matthews broke a tie because the quickest to 50 targets amongst U.S.-born gamers; he shared the earlier mark with Kevin Stevens at 62 video games, Stevens having set it within the 1992-93 season and Matthews having matched it in 2021-22.
Matthews has 9 targets in his previous 4 video games, having two consecutive hat methods earlier than a single aim towards St. Louis on Monday night time. He has 15 multigoal video games by way of 55 workforce video games, tied for the fifth most by way of 55 workforce video games in NHL historical past and essentially the most since Alexander Mogilny had 17 by way of 55 workforce video games in 1992-93.
Florida’s Sam Reinhart is second within the NHL this season with 39 targets.
Matthews had 60 targets two seasons in the past to steer the NHL, making him the primary to achieve that mark since Steven Stamkos had 60 in 2011-12. The final gamers to attain 70 or extra in a season have been Teemu Selanne and Mogilny, who every had 76 in 1992-93.
Matthews’ aim tempo continues to speed up, as he’s now on tempo for 76 this season, in response to ESPN Stats & Info. He may turn into the third participant in NHL historical past to document a 75-goal season with a Canadian workforce, becoming a member of Gretzky (Oilers) and Selanne (Winnipeg Jets).
Matthews is the fourth lively participant with a number of 50-goal seasons (Alex Ovechkin 9, Leon Draisaitl 3, Stamkos 2), and second in Maple Leafs historical past to take action after Vaive (3).
ESPN Stats & Info and The Related Press contributed to this report.
