Maple Leafs star on historic scoring pace after latest hat trick

Auston Matthews. Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Maple Leafs star maintains historic scoring pace with back-to-back hat tricks

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 2/17/24

Auston Matthews added to his historic goal-scoring pace on Saturday, notching his sixth hat trick of the season in a 9-2 Toronto Maple Leafs win over the Anaheim Ducks.

The accomplishment is impressive by itself, but a remarkable stat pointed out by Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff puts Matthews' incredible year into context.

Auston Matthews now has more hat tricks (6) than 506 skaters in the league have scored goals (5) this season.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 18, 2024

Matthews' hatter on Saturday was his second in as many games after recording one against the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 15. Incredibly, it's the second time he's recorded back-to-back hat tricks this season. He's the first to do that since Wayne Gretzky in 1983-84.

Not only did Matthews set a Maple Leafs record for hat tricks on Saturday, but he tied Gretzky (1984-85) and Mario Lemieux (1986-87, 1995-96) for the fifth-most in a single season. Gretzky owns the record with 10, doing it twice, in 1981-82 and 1983-84.

Auston Matthews has a hat trick. Also the sky is blue. pic.twitter.com/PRLgZFU1TQ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 18, 2024

To say Matthews is red hot would be an understatement.

On Saturday, he finished with five points, playing only 14:52 of the blowout. Furthermore, he has 23 points over the last 12 games, recording 15 goals and eight assists since the season's midway point.

With 48 goals this year, Matthews is on track to lead the league for the third time in four seasons. While he's put himself atop the MVP race, perhaps the only question that remains is if he can reach the 70-goal mark with 29 games remaining.

If he does, he'll be the first to do so since the 1992-93 season, when Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny netted 76 apiece.

More must-reads: