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Toronto Maple Leafs: Top 10 Meaningful Goals of the Decade

By Alex Hobson

OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 12: Playing in his NHL debut, Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his first career NHL hat trick against the Ottawa Senators with teammates at the players"u2019 bench at Canadian Tire Centre during the season opener on October 12, 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 12: Playing in his NHL debut, Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his first career NHL hat trick against the Ottawa Senators with teammates at the players"u2019 bench at Canadian Tire Centre during the season opener on October 12, 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – APRIL 8: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs reacts after scoring his 40th goal of the season while playing against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at the Air Canada Centre on April 8, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – APRIL 8: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs reacts after scoring his 40th goal of the season while playing against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at the Air Canada Centre on April 8, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) /

#8 – Auston Matthews Reaches 40 Goals in Rookie Season – April 8th, 2017

I guarantee you some people are going to laugh at me for putting an empty netter as one of the top goals of the decade.

And I’ll admit it looks funny out of context.

But in reality, the entire minute leading up to this goal is what helped it make the list. The goal itself is just icing on the cake.

This game in particular meant so much at the time because the win clinched them a spot in the playoffs.

And it all starts out with Curtis McElhinney absolutely robbing one of the best players in the world in Sidney Crosby.

Then, Crosby gets an identical chance which appears to be blocked by his own teammate.

Matthews picks up the puck, carries it out of the zone, and ices the game for his 40th while making history in the process.

Matthews would become the fourth rookie teenager in NHL history to score 40 in his first season, with Dale Hawerchuk, Mario Lemieux, and Sylvain Turgeon being the other three.

Pretty good company.

All in all, the last minute of this game featured a beautiful save followed by a 19-year old number one centre scoring a record setting goal and ultimately helping the team clinch a playoff spot after coming dead last the year prior. Storybook finish.

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