Matthews nets goal number 69 versus Red Wings…
Auston Matthews is on the brink of a milestone.
During Saturday’s matchup against the Detroit Red Wings, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ standout notched a power-play goal in the second period, marking his 69th goal of the 2023-24 season.
At 26 years old, Matthews stands poised to join an elite group, aiming to become the ninth player in NHL history to reach the 70-goal mark in a single season, a feat last achieved in the 1992-93 campaign by Alexander Mogilny (76) of the Buffalo Sabres and Teemu Selanne (76) of the Winnipeg Jets.
Throughout NHL history, there have been 14 seasons with players scoring 70 or more goals, with Wayne Gretzky leading the pack with four such seasons, followed by Brett Hull with three and Mario Lemieux achieving it twice.
Matthews’s performance stands out as the most prolific goal-scoring season for the Maple Leafs since Mario Lemieux’s 69 goals in 1995-96, a season that predates Matthews’s birth by a year.
With his current tally, Matthews has already secured his place in Maple Leafs history, surpassing Dave Keon for third on Toronto’s all-time goals list. His total of 367 goals now trails only Darryl Sittler (389) and Mats Sundin (420), both of which could be within Matthews’s reach next season.
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