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

[Saidin]

Are the Leafs gonna play him in game 81/82?

 

[lipstickjunkie]

Are the Leafs gonna play him in game 81/82?

He's playing tomorrow. If he doesn't get 70, he'll be playing Wednesday, too.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

He's playing tomorrow. If he doesn't get 70, he'll be playing Wednesday, too.

100 percent he is playing both if he doesnt score tomorrow.

 

[34]

Nobody thinks this other than you.

I am talking about goal scoring, and I don’t think it. It is a fact with the stats to back it up. It is not a debate.

 

[Montreal Shadow]

Honestly would be hilarious if Matthews stopped at 69 goals and Kucherov and McDavid stop at 99 assists.

 

[I Hart Conor Garland]

Honestly would be hilarious if Matthews stopped at 69 goals and Kucherov and McDavid stop at 99 assists.

you are mistaken in your understanding re: the meaning of one of these words

 

[LeafsNation149]

I am talking about goal scoring, and I don’t think it. It is a fact with the stats to back it up. It is not a debate.

Oh that’s valid then. Matthews definitely a better goal scorer

 

[I Hart Conor Garland]

Oh that’s valid then. Matthews definitely a better goal scorer

unless connor calls game again and blasts through the 60s into the 70s solely outta spite

he's 1 for 1 so far at that kinda thing

 

[Voight]

The amount of mental gymnastics done to discredit anything positive any Leafs player ever does is comical.

Racking up goals when they don't count - pfft. My goodness some of you are miserable AF. Can't accept that the guy is clearly the league's premier goal scorer when it's plain as day to see. Pathetic lives some of you must live.

It's like the people who claim Sundin is overrated and wasn't a top player for very long, ignoring the fact that from 1997-2007 (his prime) hes 4th in points.

 

[Peasy]

Matthews stick work is insane. Dude always strips, knocks the puck away almost every shift or at least disrupts the other team in someway. Its crazy. On top of that 69 goals. And 2nd in blocked shots...

I always say hes one of the best along the boards in the NHL. TBH I can't think of anyone better at the moment. The way he can use his stick, hands, leverage and size along the boards is unmatched.

 

[MCR74]

The amount of mental gymnastics done to discredit anything positive any Leafs player ever does is comical.

Racking up goals when they don't count - pfft. My goodness some of you are miserable AF. Can't accept that the guy is clearly the league's premier goal scorer when it's plain as day to see. Pathetic lives some of you must live.

Also known as "reaching". This thread (and forum) is full of it.

 

[ijuka]

Matthews is better defensively than Crosby ever was

This is absolutely true. Talking heads just made up Crosby's defensive prowess in order to justify the fact that he was given Conn-Smythe over Kessel, and fans ate it up.

1st in the league for goals by a mile
6th in the league for points
3rd in the league for primary points
3rd in the league for takeaways
3rd in the league for blocked shots by a forward
6th in the league for 5v5 shots against/60 (out of 102 forwards with 1000+ minutes)
54% on the dot

Shots Against:

1. Matthews: 24.04 (2nd)
2. McDavid: 27.15 (3rd)
3. MacKinnon: 28.85 (9th)
4. Kucherov: 30.24 (19th)

Goals Against:

1. Matthews: 2.24 (3rd)
2. MacKinnon: 2.74 (17th)
3. McDavid: 2.76 (18th)
4. Kucherov: 3.47 (29th)

5v5 Goal Differential (and rank out of the 31 NHL forwards with 1100 + minutes):

1. Matthews: 64.13 (1st)
2. MacKinnon: 61.53 (3rd)
3. McDavid: 60.61 (6th)
4. Kucherov: 51.44 (23rd)

And sure not the most time played on the PK but he has the best PPGA/60 on his team...

NHL Stats

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

www.nhl.com

So please spare me with the crap that Matthews isn't an established elite defensive forward in the NHL now or better than Crosby ever was, this is like his 5th season being up there in all these types of stats... I've yet to see Crosby with one single season like this in his career.

A bit inaccurate. A lot of it is systematic, and for more accurate results, you probably want to look at the relative stats instead.

And yes, those numbers look even better for Matthews. McDavid's, for example, are pretty inflated by his team's great systematic numbers. His SA/60 is actually below average for his team, but he's at 3rd overall on your list.

So the real numbers in this comparison actually favor Matthews even more, at least when it comes to defensive play. Especially MacKinnon feels pretty overrated defensively. Of these four forwards, it's true that Matthews is the best by a significant margin.

But the other three are better in terms of offensive contributions than Matthews(depending on how highly you value goals vs assists), and Matthews also hasn't been that great on power play.

 

[Sypher04]

This is absolutely true. Talking heads just made up Crosby's defensive prowess in order to justify the fact that he was given Conn-Smythe over Kessel, and fans ate it up.

A bit inaccurate. A lot of it is systematic, and for more accurate results, you probably want to look at the relative stats instead.

And yes, those numbers look even better for Matthews. McDavid's, for example, are pretty inflated by his team's great systematic numbers. His SA/60 is actually below average for his team, but he's at 3rd overall on your list.

So the real numbers in this comparison actually favor Matthews even more, at least when it comes to defensive play. Especially MacKinnon feels pretty overrated defensively. Of these four forwards, it's true that Matthews is the best by a significant margin.

But the other three are better in terms of offensive contributions than Matthews(depending on how highly you value goals vs assists), and Matthews also hasn't been that great on power play.

Matthews trails heavily in powerplay assists certainly not entirely but in no small part due to the way we run our powerplay vs teams like Tampa, Colorado & Edmonton

Also, Crosby was easily the correct choice over Kessel for the Conn Smythe. The defensive play wasn’t even needed to make his case. 3rd liners do not win MVP. I don’t care if he had a few more points than Sid, he did it against the weakest parts of the opposition lineup. He can only play who he’s deployed against and he’s full marks for his performance, but don’t tell me Sid doing it against the best players on the other team and taking all that attention doesn’t make him more valuable. Not to mention, Sid’s ECF that year. There was nobody who meant more to that cup win.

 

[Strangle]

Scoring being up isn’t a flat impact across the spectrum. For example teams pulling the goalie 1-2 minutes earlier than they did in 2008 means games that would have ended 3-2 in 2008 are now 4-2 or 4-3 OT endings for an extra 1.5 goals on average in close situations, but the players getting those extra ENGs are going to be disproportionately defensive grinders defending leads.

Don’t forget that 3 on 3 OT adds goals and I don’t know if these ‘league average’ stats remove shootout goals from their totals

Because there are no ties, that artificially raises goal averages across the league

What I’ve learned to do is just ignore the era adjusting crowd, they have no idea what they’re talking about.

 

[Strangle]

Rocket + Selke would be amazing. Screw the Hart.

Has this ever happened in the history of the league?

 

[Zybalto]

 

[bobholly39]

Has this ever happened in the history of the league?

Nope.

Fedorov had 56 goals in 94 (3rd place, Bure with 60) while winning Selke...is probably closest. Only 3 instances of a selke winner scoring 40+ goals.

If you go back to prior to Selke existing (77-78) and subjectively award the Selke trophy year per year, maybe we'd come up with a few. Howe led the league in goal 5x for example, was he good enough defensively to win a selke in one of those years?

 

[TheKrebsCycle]

Has this ever happened in the history of the league?

No and won’t this year . I say this as a Leaf fan

Nope.

Fedorov had 56 goals in 94 (3rd place, Bure with 60) while winning Selke...is probably closest. Only 3 instances of a selke winner scoring 40+ goals.

If you go back to prior to Selke existing (77-78) and subjectively award the Selke trophy year per year, maybe we'd come up with a few. Howe led the league in goal 5x for example, was he good enough defensively to win a selke in one of those years?

Not a centre so the voters probably would’ve ignored him ( semi joking )

 

[hoglund]

He's playing tomorrow. If he doesn't get 70, he'll be playing Wednesday, too.

Back to back games, they may rest him tomorrow or reduce his ice time.

 

[LivingRentFree]

Matthews is not contending for a Selke trophy. There are countless instances of him giving up on plays, being soft in his own end, missing coverage etc. This is all just Leafs fandom/media's extra loud voice begging for their consolation Stanley Cup. It's an annual tradition. They got Matthews a Hart that way, so they're trying again.

Do you believe the things you say? Just curious

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

What media are you talking about?
I drive hours for work every week and hate music.

I listen to 32 thoughts. Dfo rundown. CJ. Marek. Overdrive/first up when actual insiders are on

I have never once heard any of those media mention any of those names. Only staal even makes sense to me.

Barkov and Matthews are the only names I have heard actually mentioned.

I get my hockey coverage from insiders and analysts on twitter and pre-coverage/post-coverage of nationally broadcast games, and then I will occasionally read an article here and there. I don't listen to radio. Boomer and Hahn are pretty good on NHL Radio, and they have brought up all those names. Many times.

Barkov is the runaway frontrunner, so the Selke hasn't been discussed as much as other years. His on ice/off ice numbers are by far the best out of any 1st line center in the league, and he impacts his team goal differential the most as well. You would have to have your head buried in the sand if you haven't heard Reinhart's name mentioned right alongside Barkov's though. They are teammates and usually get brought up not unlike Marchand did when Bergeron won.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

Any context on what these numbers represent? It looks like advanced stat throwup.

 

[TheKrebsCycle]

I get my hockey coverage from insiders and analysts on twitter and pre-coverage/post-coverage of nationally broadcast games, and then I will occasionally read an article here and there. I don't listen to radio. Boomer and Hahn are pretty good on NHL Radio, and they have brought up all those names. Many times.

Barkov is the runaway frontrunner, so the Selke hasn't been discussed as much as other years. His on ice/off ice numbers are by far the best out of any 1st line center in the league, and he impacts his team goal differential the most as well. You would have to have your head buried in the sand if you haven't heard Reinhart's name mentioned right alongside Barkov's though. They are teammates and usually get brought up not unlike Marchand did when Bergeron won.

Are Barkovs advanced stats that much better ?

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

Are Barkovs advanced stats that much better ?

In those two categories, yes. Very reminiscent of 2013 Toews where he seems to be a PPG shutdown center.

 

[Strangle]

Am I reading this wrong? This looks like Matthews is almost lapping the competition