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Toronto Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews Chasing Down Franchise Records

By David Corcoran

TORONTO, CANADA - JANUARY 25: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks for a return pass against the New York Rangers during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 25, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Rangers 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - JANUARY 25: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks for a return pass against the New York Rangers during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 25, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Rangers 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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Last season Auston Matthews had one of the top goal scoring seasons in the last 30 years when he scored 60 goals in just 73 games.

The performance earned the best player in Toronto Maple Leafs history his second Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy, his first Hart Trophy as league MVP and Ted Lindsay Trophy as the league’s best player as voted by his peers.

This season, Matthews has stepped back from being the greatest player in the league to just being a superstar as after Wednesday night’s game (a solid defeat of the Blackhawks) he has 26 goals and 55 points in 48 games.

Back-to-back 60-goal seasons is now out of the question for Matthews and it is highly unlikely that he will be able to get hot enough to catch Connor McDavid in goals to take home his third consecutive Rocket Richard Trophy.  However, Matthews does have an opportunity to chase down two franchise accomplishments this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Records, and Auston Matthews

At the conclusion of the Blackhawks vs Toronto Maple Leafs game on Wednesday night and if healthy, Matthews has 27 games remaining in the 2022-23 regular season.

If he can score 14 goals to reach the 40-goal mark for the season, he will become the first player in franchise history with four consecutive 40-goal seasons.  The Arizona native is currently tied with two other Maple Leafs legends with three consecutive seasons at reaching that mark.

The first player to reach the accomplishment was Lanny McDonald who scored 46, 47 and 43 goals between the 1976-1977 season and the 1978-1979 season.  McDonald would score 40-goals the following season, however this was the year he was traded to the Colorado Rockies.

The second player that Matthews is currently tied with is the same player he passed last year for the single season goal scoring record and that being Rick Vaive.

The former captain not only scored 40-goals in three straight seasons, but scored 50-goals in each of those years.  Vaive finished with 54, 51 and 52 goals from 1981-82 through the 1983-84 seasons.  The Ottawa native would play seven full seasons in Toronto and score at least 30-goals in each of those years.

The second mark that Matthews can take aim at in on the franchise all-time scoring list as he currently sits eighth with 285.  If he could score an additional goal and finish the season with 41-goals, he will eclipse the 300-goal mark.

The 2017 Calder Trophy winner would jump past George Armstrong (296), Frank Mahovlich (296) and Vaive (299) on the list and become just the fifth player in franchise history to score 300-goals in Toronto Maple Leafs history. (stats hockeydb.com).

Next. Matthews back, Holl scratched. dark

He may not win the Rocket Richard Trophy this season, but there is some excitement to cheer him to reach these two marks.

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