After Scoring his 66th Goal This Season and Holding the Active NHL Record, Auston Matthews Reveals How He's Handled His Teammates' Push to See Him Score 70

NEWARK, N.J. — Auston Matthews scored his 66th goal of the season on Tuesday as his Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New Jersey Devils 5-2 at Prudential Center.

Matthews has now scored more goals in a season than any other active NHL player and is the first to score 66 goals since Mario Lemieux did it during the 1995-96 NHL season. He’s currently on a six-game goal-scoring streak in which he has scored seven in that span.

With four games remaining in the regular season, Matthews is four goals away from becoming the first player to score 70 goals in over 30 years. And his teammates really want him to get it done.

“That’s crazy. He’s a special player, obviously we want him to get to 70 and for him to keep going like that and it’s good for him to find the back of the net,” Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson said. “It seems like he scores every game so hopefully he gets to 70.”

Matthews matched Alex Ovechkin’s personal best of 65 goals accomplished during the 2007-08 season. Matthews grew up watching Ovechkin and witnessed one of his most famous goals as an eight-year-old attending a Phoenix Coyotes game.

“It’s cool,” Matthews said. “He’s obviously who he is and what he’s done for the game, and obviously what he’s accomplished. So it’s a big honor just to be in the same sentence.”

But how does Matthews keep cool knowing that 70 is close and how badly his teammates want him to get it?

“I find when you really, I don’t know, maybe overthink it and kind of almost want it too much, it almost doesn’t go your way,” Matthews said. “So I just try to approach every game the same. And obviously, we’re winding down here the last couple of games, and just want to make sure myself individually and as a team, we’re doing the right things night in, night out on both sides of the puck that is gonna translate here in the postseason.

“So that’s really the mindset going in night in, night out.”

He certainly knows how to play it cool.

Ideally for the Maple Leafs would be for Matthews to get to 70 with a game or two to spare so they could start doing some load management with the playoffs around the corner.

After Matthews scored 60 for the first time in his career during the 2021-22 season, he ended up being a healthy scratch along with stars Mitch Marner and John Tavares as the team rode out a meaningless game against the Boston Bruins.

Except for the outside chance. of the Leafs trying to chase down the Panthers for second place in the Atlantic Division, there isn’t a lot riding on these next four games for the Leafs.

Matthews’ chase for 70 has certainly made these games entertaining in its own right.

“He’s been great,” Tyler Bertuzzi said for Matthews. “Hopefully we can get him to 70.”

cf1808c0-6a82-4298-9049-3eb2eae105b0

Related

“I Just Want to Get Everyone Involved’: Nick Robertson, Noah Gregor and Conor Timmins Come Into the Maple Leafs Lineup Against the Devils, While Ilya Samsonov Stays Home to Rest

Former Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and Jason Spezza React to Penguins OT Loss in Second Return to Toronto

‘It’s Still Crazy’: Maple Leafs React to Auston Matthews’ 65th Goal to Match Active NHL Record

News from THN.com

NHL Three Stars: Lightning’s Stamkos and Kucherov Own the Ice along with Penguins’ Nedeljkovic

Seven Intriguing NHL Entry-Level Deals Signed in the Past Month

The Capitals and Islanders Could Both Miss the Playoffs Because of a Skills Competition