Auston Matthews ties Maple Leafs single-season goal record with hat trick
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews continued his historic season with a hat trick Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning that pushed his goal total on the season to 54.
Matthews, 24, is now tied for the Maple Leafs' single-season franchise record with Rick Vaive, who scored 54 goals during Toronto's 1981-82 season. On Monday, he scored twice in the second period before tying the record in the third period to give the Maple Leafs a 5-2 lead.
Matthews scored only seven goals in the first 17 games of the season, but he's been on a torrid pace in the past month. He's scored at least one goal in 12 of Toronto's last 13 games and 17 total over the stretch.
With 13 games left on the schedule for the Maple Leafs, Matthews has the opportunity to push his numbers into even more elite territory. The only two players in the last 25 years to score at least 60 goals in a season are Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos, who finished seasons with 65 and 60 goals, respectively.
Matthews led the NHL in goals during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season with 41.
Toronto's 6-2 win on Monday was a fifth consecutive victory and pushed the team to 45-19-5 on the year. The Maple Leafs are tied with the Boston Bruins for second place in the Atlantic Division, while the Lightning slid to fourth with the loss.
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