Auston Matthews aims for best season in Leafs history

Auston Matthews scores so often that even his teammates take it for granted.

“Yeah, I think we all are,” Morgan Reilly said in a recent conversation. The Athletic. “I’d say no because I love playing with him and he’s a great teammate and you guys try not to take them for granted. ”

But Rielly said it still happened anyway.flat They are I think it’s natural. Matthews’ accomplishments, however far removed from them, have come to feel like commonplace.

Rielly was reminded of that last month as the Leafs prepared for a game in Washington. He looked at the TV and saw Matthews scoring more goals than Alex Ovechkin at the same stage in their respective careers.

Matthews, who last weekend became the ninth player in history to reach 60 goals in multiple seasons, played in 553 regular season games with the Leafs. He has scored in 270 of those games. In other words, Matthews has scored at least once in almost 50 percent of the games he plays (officially 48.8 percent).

No wonder everyone feels normal watching him score, including fans, media, and even his teammates.

“I think no matter how much people talk about him and (he) gets all the praise and things like that, it still (deservedly) happens,” Riley said. “In a good way, that’s what it is.”

There are arguments that this season in particular will, or should, go down as the best season in Leaf history.

He set a franchise record with 60 goals, surpassing Matthews’ own 2021-22 season, and won the franchise’s first Hart Trophy in 67 years. He even surpassed Doug Gilmore’s famous 1992-93 season when he set a franchise record with 127 points.

Considering the era, Matthews would have the most prolific scoring season of any Leaf player in modern times (and as good as the best three to come).

That is not all. Matthews is on his way to the most point-producing season of any modern, time-adjusted Leaf, even with teammate William Nylander.

All of this offensive power is combined with a defensive rating that ranks in the 98th percentile.

Shortly after becoming the second three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner after Ovechkin (nine), Matthews is tied for second among all NHL forwards in blocked shots (85) and tied for second in takeaways. It is ranked 3rd among the

When he’s on, the Leafs are winning over 56 percent on 5-on-5 shooting, but just 50.8 percent without him. They outscored the team by 28 goals in those minutes (71-43).

And what about the minutes other than Matthews? The Leafs only have a five-goal advantage with him and are scoring 51% of their goals.

Matthews has added penalty-killing responsibilities to his resume this season, which should make him a candidate to win the Selke Trophy. All season, he only took three penalties in any situation, which is surprising considering the amount and quality of his playing time. This is the second-fewest penalties among NHL forwards who have logged at least 1,000 minutes this season.

But is this the Leafs’ best season yet? Obviously it’s not over yet, but it’s moving in that direction.

Matthews won’t match Gilmore’s point total in the 1992-93 season. However, NHL teams that year averaged over 3.6 goals per game. He had an average save percentage of .885. Compare that to 3.1 goals per game this season.Gilmore’s 127 points were the most by a Leaf player in a single season, but were bettered by six NHL players. that seasonled by Mario Lemieux with 160 points.

However, Gilmore won the Selke that season and finished second to Lemieux for MVP. He also led the Leafs to the postseason.

It’s quite impressive.

Was Matthews more dominant two seasons ago than the current version? The Leafs won a whopping 65 percent of expected goals at 5-on-5 with Matthews on the ice in 2021-22. Matthews scored 60 goals and 106 points in just 73 games.

He has played in 72 games this season, scoring 60 points and 95 points, giving him an expected goal percentage of 55 percent.

But this Leafs team is weaker than that. Matthews had to do more. Two seasons ago, 41 percent of his 5-on-5 faceoffs were in the offensive zone. This season, that number has dropped to 36 percent.

In fact, Matthews scores slightly better without Mitch Marner than with him. He has six hat tricks, which is the fifth-most in NHL history. He saved the Leafs from certain losses on several nights.

He’s also scoring slightly less in the NHL than he did two seasons ago.

Matthews will eventually break his own franchise goals record. He’s on pace for 68, the most by a player on any team in nearly 30 years.

Add to that Zelke-level defense and maybe another Hart Trophy? It’s hard to beat. Leading the Leafs to a playoff spot later this spring will likely end that story.

“I think if you stop and think about it, you realize that,” Riley said of the historical nature of Matthews’ work. “But that’s not something you notice right away as one of his teammates or friends. I think it just proves how he carries himself.”

What does that mean? “It’s in plain sight,” Riley said, “just one.”

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Ovechkin could soon become the NHL’s all-time scoring leader. Only once in his career has he scored 60 goals in a season.

Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy share the NHL record of scoring 60 or more goals in five seasons. Lemieux and Phil Esposito each followed with four seasons and Brett Hull with three seasons. Matthews joined Pavel Bure, Steve Yzerman and Jari Kurri in scoring 60 goals in two seasons.

Matthews is only 26 years old and in his eighth NHL season. In other words, there’s still plenty of room to add another 60-goal season to his resume, and perhaps even the three goals needed to catch Gretzky and Bossy.

It’s harder to score 60 points today than it has been in decades past, thus making it a little more special.

Consider that in 1992-93, five players scored 60 or more goals: Lemieux, Bure, Alexander Mogilny, Luc Robitaille, and Teemu Selanne. Yzerman and Pierre Turgeon were just behind with 58 each.

Only five players have scored 60 points in the 2000s: Matthews (twice), Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, David Pastorjak and Connor McDavid.

If the 2020-21 season hadn’t been limited to 56 games, Matthews might have already had at least one more 60-goal season. That season, he scored at a pace of 65 goals, with 41 goals in 52 games.

Matthews is on pace for 68 goals this season, the most by any player and any team in nearly 30 years. (Timothy T. Ludwig/USA Today)

Only 23 players in NHL history have scored 60 goals in a season.

Matthews has averaged 0.65 goals per game during his career, second most in the modern era behind Bossy (0.76) and Lemieux (0.75).

Matthews is just 61 goals behind Mats Sundin for the most goals in franchise history. Seven more goals would move Matthews past Dave Keene for third place on the Leafs team.

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1. The Leafs still have an outside chance to get home-ice advantage in the first round.They are second in the Atlantic Division, six points behind the Panthers, but still have a game left. and They are scheduled to play Florida two more times, including Monday night.

2. One question Sheldon Keefe is probably thinking right now: Should Marner return to Matthews as soon as he’s ready to return from his sprained ankle?

When the current top line of Matthews, Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi is on the ice, the Leafs are scoring over 66 percent of their expected goals. However, on the actual scoreboard, the Leafs scored seven points and conceded six.

That’s…it’s going well. It’s not a very good excuse to move Marner elsewhere. (Where? With John Tavares and Nylander?)

If Keefe decides to reconnect Marner with Matthews, who will be taken off the line, Domi or Bertuzzi?

Keefe has yet to see what Matthews and Marner will be like with this version of Bertuzzi, so he may be inclined to peak before the playoffs. If that happens, Domi could take back the third-line center spot from Pontus Holmberg. However, Domi has seemed to be playing much better on the wing with Matthews lately. Playing on the wing with Nylander and Tavares was problematic.

Will Domi be able to reclaim this third-line center role when Marner returns? (John E. Sokolowski / USA Today)

That’s why Keefe may want to see more of Domi playing on the left side with Matthews and Marner. That would also allow Bertuzzi to join Tavares and Nylander back.

What happens to the third and fourth lines in this case? Will Holmberg play in a quicksand unit with, say, Bobby McMann and Matthew Knies at center, leaving Calle Jarnkrok behind with David Kemp and Conor Dewar?

Domi — Matthews — Marner

Bertuzzi — Tavares — Nylander

Kunis — Holmberg — McMann

Dewar — Kempf — Jarunkrok

3. TJ Brodie has led the team in 51.5 minutes at 5-on-5 since getting injured two games in. The Leafs outscored their opponents 4-1 in those minutes, scoring almost 53% of their expected goals.

4. Another injury-related lineup consideration for Keefe: Where to put Riley back as he prepares to return from injury. If Rielly were to be reunited with Ilya Lyubushkin, who spent the past few games with Brodie, would the Leafs coach be prepared to encourage Brodie to try again with Jake McCabe?

5. The Leafs went 4-44 (9.1 percent) on the power play in March. Only the Anaheim Ducks and Montreal Canadiens were worse.

The underlying numbers are alarming and un-Leaf-like.

There is also the impact of injuries. The Leafs haven’t had enough options for most of this month. He was notably without Marner, but Riley and his replacement Timothy Liljegren were also missing. But this slide happened before those injuries.

The Leafs, coached by Guy Boucher, need to resolve this issue as soon as possible. On a more positive note, a penalty kill appears to be on the horizon.

— Statistics and research provided by: natural status tricks, hockey reference and evolving hockey

(Top photo is Auston Matthews celebrating his 60th goal of the season with Mark Giordano: Bill Wippert / NHLI via Getty Images)