Auston Matthews 69 goals in 81 games, most goals scored since Lemieux in 1995-96

[2028 7th]

It's bizarre to me that my fellow Leaf-haters want to shit on Matthews. I live in the reality-based community and freely admit how great he is. It just highlights how laughable that organization is that they're gifted with a generational goal scorer and a conga line of other top 5 picks after decades of failure yet they consistently remain the losingest franchise that ever losed.

 

[JukofYork]

The hockey gods show their face to us once again.

McDavid 99 assists
Mathews 66 goals

To have both those numbers at the exact same time is mind blowing. Two of the greatest players to ever play wore the number 99 and 66

 

[saffronleaf]

Hey, here's one for you; At least he'll be in the playoffs again this year.
As for the Habs, how's that rebuild coming along? Oh, another lottery pick this Summer you say. How many is that now?

honestly there's nothing that we as leafs fans can really say to habs fans after what happened in 2021. we lost to the worst team to ever qualify for any postseason in any league in global sporting history, ever. there's not much coming back from that.

 

[saffronleaf]

If he was playing in 2003 his 66 goals would be 42 goals...

if he was playing with backstrom his 66 goals would be 5 goals...

 

[Pestilence]

Gretzky had 56, and I don't see anyone dinging him for it. Goals are goals, someone has to score them.

Then again, if empty-net goals are really some diminishing factor: here's all the 60+ goal seasons where the player had 0 ENGs in the total.

Brett Hull - 86 in 1990-91
Phil Esposito - 76 in 1970-71
Brett Hull - 72 in 1989-90
Brett Hull - 70 in 1991-92
Mike Bossy - 69 in 1978-79
Reggie Leach - 61 in 1975-76
Mike Bossy - 60 in 1982-83
Guy Lafleur - 60 in 1977-78
Steve Shutt - 60 in 1976-77

I suppose those players did not see much ice in the end of the third if the lead was small.

 

[Voodoo Child]

The hockey gods show their face to us once again.

McDavid 99 assists
Mathews 66 goals

To have both those numbers at the exact same time is mind blowing. Two of the greatest players to ever play wore the number 99 and 66

This is actually interesting instead of ‘lol in 2008 66 is 58!’ or ‘Gretzky and Lemieux!’

 

[Toene]

honestly there's nothing that we as leafs fans can really say to habs fans after what happened in 2021. we lost to the worst team to ever qualify for any postseason in any league in global sporting history, ever. there's not much coming back from that.

Worst in terms of standings. Habs were clearly the better team overall.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

honestly there's nothing that we as leafs fans can really say to habs fans after what happened in 2021. we lost to the worst team to ever qualify for any postseason in any league in global sporting history, ever. there's not much coming back from that.

so did another 2 teams WPG and VGK I believe they were on a roll and Price standing on his head helped too.
I still haven't forgiven the leafs for that loss. it's what made me give up on the core and accept we're likely never winning anything with them

 

[Strangle]

If he was playing in 2003 his 66 goals would be 42 goals...

Which goals wouldn’t have gone in, in 2003?

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Which goals wouldn’t have gone in, in 2003?

apparently Matthews has to score 80 to be on the same level as OV when he scored 65 so he scored 66 but its not a real 66

 

[Montreal Shadow]

honestly there's nothing that we as leafs fans can really say to habs fans after what happened in 2021. we lost to the worst team to ever qualify for any postseason in any league in global sporting history, ever. there's not much coming back from that.

That’d be true if Montreal got swept right after, but they then streamrolled the Jets and convincingly defeated Vegas.

Funnily enough, that team was way better built for the playoffs than for the regular season.

 

[The90]

That’d be true if Montreal got swept right after, but they then streamrolled the Jets and convincingly defeated Vegas.

Funnily enough, that team was way better built for the playoffs than for the regular season.

If by ‘better built’ you mean your star goalie wasn’t playing like a star goalie, then hit a hot streak at the right time, then yes, you’re correct.

 

[flying squirrel]

Matthews reaching 70 in today NHL is amazing, no matter who it was done against. The man just has a killer shot and is the best pure goal scorer in today's game. Not a fan of Leafs either, so giving praise to any Leaf player is not something I don't not taken lightly.

 

[SkinsFan09]

apparently Matthews has to score 80 to be on the same level as OV when he scored 65 so he scored 66 but its not a real 66

In all seriousness by the time this season is done he may score enough that era-adjusted arguments cannot even be brought up.

 

[KevinFinnerty]

best goal scorer ever AINEC

 

[Montreal Shadow]

If by ‘better built’ you mean your star goalie wasn’t playing like a star goalie, then hit a hot streak at the right time, then yes, you’re correct.

Nah, I mean that those big and slow bruisers got away with a lot more holding, interferences, and illegal plays than they otherwise did in the regular season.

Go look back at how massive the defensemen and depth players were on that team. They worked much better when the refs put away their whistles and the fast forwards could actually counter-attack without worrying about getting scored on thanks to Price playing amazing and the defense just punishing everything that moved.

 

[Curufinwe]

It's a great achievement.

As a fan who's old enough remember clearly the dark days when the league's highest goal scorers barely cracked 40, the NHL is in a much better place now.

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.

www.nhl.com

 

[The90]

Nah, I mean that those big and slow bruisers got away with a lot more holding, interferences, and illegal plays than they otherwise did in the regular season.

Go look back at how massive the defensemen and depth players were on that team. They worked much better when the refs put away their whistles and the fast forwards could actually counter-attack without worrying about getting scored on thanks to Price playing amazing and the defense just punishing everything that moved.

For sure they did. But you still mostly won off carey price

 

[HolyHagelin]

Which goalies in 2007-08 were bigger and took up more net than Vasi the last two years?

Every one of them took up more net, because of the pads. All you have to do is look at the pics.

 

[HolyHagelin]

Which goals wouldn’t have gone in, in 2003?

This is such a dumb question. In a league with different players, rules, and dominant styles, zero of his shots would be the same. Finding space worked differently, creating space worked differently; the meta was not the same.

That said, even if you could just presume he gets to take all the same shots, every single one that barely squeaked through would get stopped by the larger pads. The goalies were not the same.

On top of that, again, assuming he takes a the same shots from the same places, the shots themselves would be less effective due to stick technology. The equipment is not the same.

Stop asking dumb questions that undermine whatever point you think you’re making.

 

[Montreal Shadow]

For sure they did. But you still mostly won off carey price

You're not wrong. Price made the difference in the Leafs and Vegas series but the Jets just got outplayed badly all around plus they faced a hot goalie which explains why they got eliminated in 4 without ever really putting up a fight.

 

[The90]

You're not wrong. Price made the difference in the Leafs and Vegas series but the Jets just got outplayed badly all around plus they faced a hot goalie which explains why they got eliminated in 4 without ever really putting up a fight.

Sad that all bergevin brought Carey to help was fifth liners. Imagine that run with a top line in front of it.

 

[X66]

At this point, you arent a fan of hockey if you arent impressed with Mathews. You are one dimensional homer for your team. Which is fine but dont pretend to be anything else.

Mathews is playing against the best players in the entire world and is a wopping 12 goals ahead of the next best goal scorer. Ridiculous.

This is the saddest truth.

Someone has a chance at 70 goals in todays game and people are acting like they don't want to see it.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

It's bizarre to me that my fellow Leaf-haters want to shit on Matthews. I live in the reality-based community and freely admit how great he is. It just highlights how laughable that organization is that they're gifted with a generational goal scorer and a conga line of other top 5 picks after decades of failure yet they consistently remain the losingest franchise that ever losed.

They've had one top 3 pick in 34 years.

Besides that a 4th in Marner and 5th in Rielly.

Every one of them took up more net, because of the pads. All you have to do is look at the pics.

Sure. Sure they did.

The 6'1" 190 lbs DiPietro took up more net than the 6'4" 220 lbs Vasi in his 2022, 2023 gear.

The 6'2" 196 lbs MacDonald took up more net than the 6'4" 220 lbs Vasi in his 2022, 2023 gear.

The 5'10" 180 lbs Dubielewcz took up more net than the 6'4" 220 lbs Vasi in his 2022, 2023 gear.

 

[PaulD]

AM silencing the Marner cheerleaders club.......Austin scoring at just as good or even better clip with Max Domi replacing little Mitchy. ha! Max Domi.