Auston Matthews will have an opportunity to add another franchise record to his growing list of accomplishments when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Calgary Flames on Monday night.
Matthews enters the second game of Toronto’s four-game road trip with 799 career points after scoring in Saturday’s commanding 7-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. The Maple Leafs captain has recorded 437 goals and 362 assists through 702 regular-season games.
That leaves Matthews just one point away from reaching 800 faster than any player in Maple Leafs history.
Darryl Sittler currently holds the franchise record, reaching the milestone in his 742nd game on Nov. 15, 1980. Even if Matthews is held off the scoresheet in Calgary, he has another 39 games to record the point needed to surpass Sittler’s mark.
Given how Matthews has performed away from home this season, he may not need nearly that long.
Auston Matthews continues climbing the record books
Matthews recorded 10 points, split evenly between five goals and five assists, through his first five road games of the season. He has also helped the Maple Leafs win four consecutive games heading into Monday’s matchup in Calgary.
His pursuit of 800 points carries significance beyond Toronto’s record book.
If Matthews reaches the milestone against the Flames, he will become the second-fastest American-born player in NHL history to record 800 points. Pat LaFontaine is the only American-born player to get there faster, doing so in 664 games. LaFontaine finished his career with 1,013 points in 865 regular-season appearances.
Reaching 800 points in his 703rd game would give Matthews another impressive accomplishment in a career that has already established him as one of the greatest players in Maple Leafs history.
The 29-year-old has built his reputation primarily through his goal-scoring ability, but his pursuit of 800 illustrates that his offensive impact has never been limited to putting the puck in the net. His 362 assists account for more than 45 per cent of his career production.
Still, it would be fitting for Matthews to reach the milestone with the type of play that has defined his career: another goal.
Matthews has a chance to reach milestone during Maple Leafs’ surge
Matthews picked a good time to move within one point of the record.
Toronto arrives in Calgary playing its best hockey of the young season after collecting four consecutive victories. The Flames have also recovered from an 0-5-0 start by winning four of their past five games, including three straight entering Monday.
That sets up a matchup between two of the league’s hottest teams, with Matthews’ milestone pursuit adding another storyline to the night.
The Maple Leafs have greater ambitions than individual regular-season records, but Matthews’ potential achievement offers another reminder of how quickly he has rewritten Toronto’s record book. Sittler’s standard has stood for nearly 46 years, and Matthews is positioned to surpass it by at least 39 games.
One point in Calgary is all he needs to make it official.
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