The 24-year-old forward scored at 18:58 in the second period of the victory with 4-3 in overtime to pass Rick Vaive, who scored 54 for Toronto in 1981-82. Matthews then scored No. 56 at 2:10 overtime “Heaven is the limit for this child,” Vaive told NHL.com on Monday. “Congratulations to him. The records are set to be broken and I’m proud that mine was broken by a player of this generation. And he just started. “He just seems to be getting better at both ends of the ice. I can’t wait to shake his hand and congratulate him personally.” Vaive said he hopes to meet with Matthews on Saturday. Will be present when Maple Leafs hosts the Montreal Canadiens. “The way he is going, this is only his first of more than 50 seasons,” said Vaive. Matthews is the third United States-born player to score 55 goals in a season, along with Jimmy Carson, who scored 55 for the Los Angeles Kings in 1987-88, and Kevin Stevens, who scored 55 for the Pittsburgh Penguins. in 1992-93. Matthews, who leads the NHL in goals this season, will try to become the first to score 60 after Tampa Bay Lightning striker Steven Stamkos in 2011-12. Toronto has 11 regular season games left. “When you have this arsenal and the way he shoots, I would not be surprised if at some point in his career he gets 70,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Monday. Matthews’s record-breaking goal came a week after he became the fourth Maple Leafs player to score 50 in a 7-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets on March 31st. Done with Vaive, Gary Leeman (1989-90) and Dave Andreychuk (1993). -94). Mats Sundin, the Maple Leafs all-time leading goalscorer (420) and points (987) and captain from 1997-2009, said he believed the best could still be ahead for Matthews. “Congratulations to Auston on such a great achievement,” Sundin said last week. “If he stays in Toronto, he can have all the great scoring records, including mine.” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said he was impressed with how Matthews kept his composure as he gained more attention with each goal. “I think it’s great,” Keefe said. “First of all, to score 50 goals, that in itself is a milestone for him, and then he does not hesitate to move on to the next thing, which is the next game and the next challenge. “I think his focus remains on leading this team and this is the best place for him, he just stays humble and keeps working. He knows he’s a great player and he knows the goals will come. He’s just part of what he does for He leads our team in many different ways, and that’s what excites me the most. “
