Auston Matthews was watching 55 in 2019-20, when the pandemic stopped the NHL season. If the Toronto Maple Leafs superstar had won 82 games in 2020-21, he would have been scared 65. Really, it was never a matter of when Matthews would score enough goals. It was about when he would get enough games. “We’ve talked about it at the Leafs gala a few times and at the Leafs and Legends golf tournament,” Vaive told us. “I was very disappointed with him last year. He had good years in the first seasons, but he had injuries. Suddenly, he is there, and he has the opportunity in the spring [of 2020] – and it is not an injury that takes it away from him. “If it’s just an injury, that’s part of the game. But it is a pandemic. This bothered me because he took this opportunity. I felt bad for him. I really did. That must have been very disappointing for him. “ If frustration boiled down, Matthews never let it go public. Collect his Rocket Richard Trophy. He usually expressed his desire for two points, not for 55 goals. “Honestly, it did not bother me too much,” Matthews said at the American Airlines Center on Thursday, just hours before going out and putting Vaive in second place. And yet, the eye test and the statistics sheet would suggest that, perhaps, it was a little stressful. “To be honest, I do not think so,” replied Mark Giordano. “I think he was so dominant tonight. It was just above all. You could see from the beginning of the game “. Morgan Rielly agreed: “It’s like that all the time. He is always looking for more. It always creates opportunities. He’s chasing the elf – I don’t think he has enough credit. It does backchecking. It has conclusions, and it just creates insults all the time. “Maybe it was,” Riley continued. “But he is not the type to talk about it or push openly about it. “He’s just out there playing.” With the record inside Tuesday in Florida, Matthews scored eight shots but finished with three assists. And just on his 10th shot on Thursday, during an unforgettable 4-3 victory in overtime in Dallas, Papi became the grandfather of all Maple Leafs scorers. Ever since he tied Vaive on Tampa Monday, Matthews has scored 20 shots – most of them in two games. The 12-year-old in Dallas set a new career record. “Keep shooting. “Try to break them up,” Matthews said of his mentality. “You know, a lot of guys when they turn 50, they take a breath maybe for one or two games,” Giordano admired. “But in fact it has activated it even more.” History was written in poetry. With Rielly switching to power play, Matthews scored a No. 55 goal on a No. 55 pass. “I just left it there and he hit it,” said Giordano. “It’s awesome. I told him I should be on the board now and he will never forget me.” Matthews fell to his left knee to take the shot and then let go of his right knee to celebrate with a punch so emphatic that it could have hit Mike Tyson. She screamed in excitement. “Just put it in the wheelhouse, so I tried to attack the elf,” Matthews explained. “Just a lot of emotions go through your mind, I guess, and they just run through your body when you see the elf coming in. I really do not know what else to say. But it was definitely an exciting and really fun time. “There were a lot of things on my mind.” Stars defender Miro Heiskanen threw the elf out of the net and landed on the ice in disgust. Mitch Marner rushed to get the souvenir as coach Sheldon Keefe walked along the bench to pat Matthew on the shoulder and congratulate his MVP. “He said some very nice words,” Matthews said. “That means a lot.” “It’s just such a great achievement. This organization has been around for a long time. Many great players. “It was very special for him to be at the top of this list,” said Keefe. “It’s Ashton tonight.” Actually. For his encore, Matthews finished in the neutral zone during overtime with 56 on his blade, passed Tyler Seguin and put Scott Wedgewood in the background of a poster coming near you. The coach seemed to raise his eyebrows and try to swallow an unmistakable smile as he went to the dressing room after the victory. How is this? Auston Matthews’ 56th gives him the most goals in a single season from an American-born player. – luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) April 8, 2022 On the morning of the landmark, Matthews thought of the snipers he grew up admiring. The Scottsdale phenomenon went through phases where he wore his equipment like them, stuck his stick like them and got his best moments on YouTube. Icons with a name like Ovechkin, Malkin, Crosby, Kane and Datsyuk. Now? Matthews is the role model for any aspiring young sniper. He is the one they are watching. And for all the future Maple Leafs, this is a must have. “It simply came to our notice then. “It’s nice,” Matthews thought. “Things go round and round sometimes, so it’s funny to think about it.” These are rare nights where time stops long enough for you to take a look back and sneak forward while immersing yourself in the now. Toronto’s Giordano, the younger Leaf but a lifelong fan, thought what a huge deal it was in town when he was a boy and Dave Andreychuk scored 50. He still vividly remembers the celebration. “And I’m sure there are a lot of kids who will remember that Matty broke the record tonight,” said Giordano. Always polite, Matthews described his record as humble and special. A price. But as he reached the top of one mountain, he saw it as a base camp for the next. “We are working on something bigger than that,” Matthews said. “It’s a nice step, but there’s a lot more work to be done.” Fox’s Fast 5 Dallas top scorer Jason Robertson says both he and little brother Nick tried to borrow Matthew’s patented wrist, which allows him to whip his efforts even in close motion. “It’s natural for him. His release, his shot, everything. It does not need much space. I want to get to this point. “But he shoots with a lot of confidence,” says Robertson. “It’s definitely something you change the angle and pull behind the man’s stick. Not many players can do that. He is definitely one of the top – if not the top player – to do that. “ • Amazing to see a smiling Ben Bishop at the American Airlines Center during morning skating. Injuries forced the likeable goalkeeper to retire on December 14, but he is still training with the team. • The quote of the day. “He is a player with ridges. And it does not have a series yet “. —The legend of Marty Turco stars in the season with four goals by Alexander Radulov, through Real Kyper & Bourne • Jason Spezza was healthy scratched against his former team and has been on the bench for three of the last four. “He has played here in the past. “We are at a point now where we have to make decisions,” said Keefe, who is trying to boost internal competition between his quarters. Spezza is at 991 points with only 11 games left in the Toronto schedule. It’s an impending UFA. His quest for 1,000 points is in jeopardy. • Top scorer Michael Bading has not scored in 15 games, the biggest drought in his NHL career. “It’s starting to build up and weigh you down a bit,” Keefe said. “But he is not a passenger on the line. He collects points and they are not just secondary assists. It is in the foreground, it is on the track, it creates loose backs, it creates chaos around the net…. He shoots a penalty and that helps his teammates succeed in power-play “.
