The naysayers are ready to write off any chance of Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews has at another goal scoring title.
They might be a little too hasty in drawing such conclusions though, as much like the Toronto Maple Leafs themselves, the season start for Auston Matthews hasn’t been without a few bumps.
Namely the fact that six games in, he’s thus far only tallied a single goal. Though in all reality, that’s been enough for people to immediately write off his year – he’s not going to hit 70 goals now!
To be fair, a 70-goal total in the modern-day NHL would be truly remarkable and is having Auston Matthews meeting an incredibly high bar. Repeating 60 goals would be achievement enough after all.
Things Looking Up For the Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews
With everyone lost on the fact that Matthews only has the 1 goal thus far, they’re failing to see that he’s still producing at a point-per-game rate, even if his 28 shots on goal have yet to reap major rewards.
A three-point night against the Winnipeg Jets ensures that he is still producing elite numbers, even if it’s not Matthews himself bulging the twine.
What seems to be lost on a lot of people is that it’s not the first season Matthews has started slow. Last year, albeit starting late due to an injury, his totals 6 games in were 1 goal and 1 assist despite 25 shots.
Perhaps we were spoiled in his very first NHL season, what with a four-goal debut and a further 2 goals in his first 6 appearances that year.
Fact is that the Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the league’s elite goal scorers and despite a seeming loss of his scoring touch, Auston Matthews will inevitably break-out.
Using last year as an example again; Matthews had just 2 points through his first 6 games, yet ended the year with 60 goals and 106 points; his point-scoring pace right now is very much up on that start and eventually one of his shots is going to get through.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will be hoping the team’s current road trip lights the spark, with Logan Thompson and James Reimer the likely next two goalies he faces; hardly names that strike fear into a goal scorer.
It seems crazy to be debating Auston Matthews’ abilities this early in the season; if anything, he’s looked more well-rounded than ever.
While you don’t necessarily want to taking measure of hits when talking a top-line goal scoring center; Matthews is up in both departments. His 8.29 hits per 60 (per NHL.com) is easily the highest that statistic has been at any point in his NHL career.
All statistics around his shooting and puck possession point to a breakthrough soon, and knowing Matthews, the Toronto Maple Leafs can expect it to open the floodgates. Certainly, nobody would be that surprised if he turned around and netted a hat-trick to break the drought.
Right now, despite his lack of goals, Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves with a 4-2-0 record, having scored 18 goals as a team. Certainly, it could be worse and will only get better once Matthews finds his scoring touch.