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

[starsfan86]

Not really the biggest Matthews or Leafs fan, but I really hope he hits 70

 

[Antropovsky]

Dude is just automatic at this point. It will be interesting to see what gameplan teams will have to counter him in the playoffs. Do you focus on him and have someone shadow him at all times? Do you try to cut time and space for all his linemates and prevent him from getting clean passes?

I think the latter is what teams have done in past playoffs and it's been successful. If you play Marner physical and fast he coughes up the puck like it's 2020 and the puck just tested positive for Covid.

 

[Senor Catface]

70 goals will be cool to see. It would be hard to imagine him at least not beating Ovechkin's 65.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

People act like he completely disappears in the playoffs, he hasn’t elevated his game or anything, but he hasn’t been that bad outside his second year.

Yeah he's 40th all time in playoff goals per game. Over half of those ahead of him were playing in the run and gun era. He's also placed where he has while regularly drawing against Vezina goalies.

Would we like to see an insane year? Absolutely. Has he been terrible? Hardly. Those pushing that narrative are basically trolling or have heads lodged within posteriors.

 

[NyQuil]

People act like he completely disappears in the playoffs, he hasn’t elevated his game or anything, but he hasn’t been that bad outside his second year.

Yeah he's 40th all time in playoff goals per game. Over half of those ahead of him were playing in the run and gun era. He's also placed where he has while regularly drawing against Vezina goalies.

Would we like to see an insane year? Absolutely. Has he been terrible? Hardly. Those pushing that narrative are basically trolling or have heads lodged within posteriors.

It depends on whether you subscribe to the idea that he's a generational player or not.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

70 goals would be absolutely insane. Don’t see him getting there unless he can get a multi goal game one or twice.

Either way, one of the best goal scoring seasons ever. Hopefully he continues doing this for the next decade.

 

[HolyHagelin]

Waaaaaaaay too many pages of ENG debate. ENG aren’t some simple gimme, first your team has to be good enough to be ahead, then you have to be good enough to be on the ice late and close, then you have to be good enough to get the puck from the other team’s best offensive players while they outnumber you, then you have to actually make a decent shot and not ice the puck.

Goals are goals.

 

[Peasy]

Auston Matthews such a bum in the playoffs that hes out produced Kucherov head to head their last two series.

2022
Kucherov 2g 6a
Matthews 4g 5a

2023
Kucherov 1g 5a
Matthews 5g 4a

Total
Kucherov 3g 11a
Matthews 9g 9a

 

[The Podium]

Counter him in the playoffs?

Did you just start following hockey?

He had 5 goals in 6 games against Tampa last playoffs

He’s 40th all time and 9th among active players in playoff goals per game

Playoff goals per game active

1. Draisaitl
2. McDavid
3. Guentzel
4. MacKinnon
5. Ovechkin
6. Point
7. Pastrnak
8. Tarasenko
9. Matthews

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

It depends on whether you subscribe to the idea that he's a generational player or not.

While Vezina is far from a be all, end all (and sample sizes can be small), would it surprise you to know that the players many here would consider to be clutch playoff performers (several on the active players ahead of him in G/GP in playoffs) have lower numbers than Matthews does in playoffs when facing Vezina goalies?

 

[filinski77]

My opinion on the playoffs talk here: Matthews has been just fine in the playoffs. The issue is that just fine is a lot worse than the outstanding RS player that he is. Here's a list of some players and how much higher their RS goal/gp is than their playoff goal/gp.

Matthews has it in him 100%, just need to see it. Hoping for a good year for him and the leafs this postseason.

Matthews	48%​
Ovi	22%​
Kucherov	19%​
Mackinnon	-26%​
Crosby	18%​
McDavid	-12%​
Drai	-23%​

 

[Voight]

Everyone is a playoff bust until they aren't. Exhibit A Matthew Tkachuk last year. Was always considered a regular season player and playoff choker, all it took was 1 year to change the narrative.

I'll agree that his playoff production has always been significantly lower than his regular season, but like I mentioned all it takes is 1 good run to change the narrative. Past failures don't pre-determine future failures, every year players have an opportunity to prove themselves, we'll see what happens.


McDavid is clearly the better player, Matthews is clearly the better scorer. I appreciate and love both of these guys as athletes, it's just annoying when Oilers fans try and dunk on Matthews. Like yes we know McDavid is the best player in the world and there is no shame in not being as good as him.

This is exactly it.

With Sid/Ovy it was a 1A/1B thing. Either or could be considered the best player in the league. I don think any Leaf fans will claim Matthews > McDavid, but some Oilers fans have this weird inferiority complex and think that's what's happening.

 

[Voight]

FWIW Matthews playoff points per game is in the same range as Marchand, Kopitar, Tkachuk to name a few.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

7 goals in the last 8 games is possible. Put Matthews on the ice for any potential open netters. If he can put up one more hat trick, it increases his chances.

But I would think that Keefe wants to rest Matthews for a couple games before the playoffs start.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

My opinion on the playoffs talk here: Matthews has been just fine in the playoffs. The issue is that just fine is a lot worse than the outstanding RS player that he is. Here's a list of some players and how much higher their RS goal/gp is than their playoff goal/gp.

Matthews has it in him 100%, just need to see it. Hoping for a good year for him and the leafs this postseason.

Matthews	48%​
Ovi	22%​
Kucherov	19%​
Mackinnon	-26%​
Crosby	18%​
McDavid	-12%​
Drai	-23%​

This of course does not factor in at all what they've gone up against. For example, two of them have never faced higher than a 10th overall team in the first round.

 

[Toby91ca]

7 goals in the last 8 games is possible. Put Matthews on the ice for any potential open netters. If he can put up one more hat trick, it increases his chances.

But I would think that Keefe wants to rest Matthews for a couple games before the playoffs start.

Only 7 games to go....but yes, still possible

 

[blundluntman]

Still hoping he can pot 70 but I don't think it's gonna happen

 

[McShogun99]

I'm rooting for 70 goals for Matthews. So many good storylines this season with Matthews potentially hitting 70 goals, Mcdavid potentially hitting 100 assists and Kucherov potentially being the first ever winger in league hostory to hit 90 assists.

 

[Killer Orcas]

Yeah he's 40th all time in playoff goals per game. Over half of those ahead of him were playing in the run and gun era. He's also placed where he has while regularly drawing against Vezina goalies.

Would we like to see an insane year? Absolutely. Has he been terrible? Hardly. Those pushing that narrative are basically trolling or have heads lodged within posteriors.

This is kinda interesting I didn't realize that. He does get a bad rap for playoffs but this stat doesn't support it.

 

[Goose]

My opinion on the playoffs talk here: Matthews has been just fine in the playoffs. The issue is that just fine is a lot worse than the outstanding RS player that he is. Here's a list of some players and how much higher their RS goal/gp is than their playoff goal/gp.

Matthews has it in him 100%, just need to see it. Hoping for a good year for him and the leafs this postseason.

Matthews	48%​
Ovi	22%​
Kucherov	19%​
Mackinnon	-26%​
Crosby	18%​
McDavid	-12%​
Drai	-23%​

Just to put those numbers in perspective, Drai, Mackinnon, and McDavid are all currently within the Top 11 for all-time playoff goals per game.

And the better the scorer you are, the harder it is to match or beat your regular season production.

I'm not making excuses for Matthews though, he's been fine in the playoffs but not a beast of a goal scorer like he is in the regular season, and Leafs fans would love to see that change, but that table compares him to people who are overperforming at all-time historic levels.

 

[authentic]

Auston Matthews such a bum in the playoffs that hes out produced Kucherov head to head their last two series.

2022
Kucherov 2g 6a
Matthews 4g 5a

2023
Kucherov 1g 5a
Matthews 5g 4a

Total
Kucherov 3g 11a
Matthews 9g 9a

He played elite defense on top, while Kucherov was outscored on the ice against Toronto. It’s amazing the way some people go on like he’s a complete no show every single series.

 

[authentic]

My opinion on the playoffs talk here: Matthews has been just fine in the playoffs. The issue is that just fine is a lot worse than the outstanding RS player that he is. Here's a list of some players and how much higher their RS goal/gp is than their playoff goal/gp.

Matthews has it in him 100%, just need to see it. Hoping for a good year for him and the leafs this postseason.

Matthews	48%​
Ovi	22%​
Kucherov	19%​
Mackinnon	-26%​
Crosby	18%​
McDavid	-12%​
Drai	-23%​

But people use this to act like this is how he plays all the time that’s the weird part. He has been an elite goal scorer in half of the series he has played in, all against Vezina caliber goalies and his two-way game has been outstanding since the Montreal series. He has also dealt with injury troubles in several of his playoff series and his few sub par ones bring his overall average down quite a bit. Either way he is fully capable of putting up a lengthy and dominant playoff run - he’s already had a 12 game point streak in the playoffs that ended when he took a slap shot to the hand in game 3 against Florida - I would wager not many active players have had point streaks that long to begin with.

 

[Golden_Jet]

EDIT: There were only five different opponents for each Canadian team that year. Five

It’s absolutely impossible to use 2020-21 as pace for anything. It’s wild how easily people forget what that season actually looked like.

6 opponents, ya the all Canadian division sucked, but was glad to have hockey, it was fun for a month though.

 

[Voight]

6 opponents, ya the all Canadian division sucked, but was glad to have hockey, it was fun for a month though.

Yea between the empty arenas and seeing the same players all the time, 2021 sucked.

 

[The90]

Yeah he's 40th all time in playoff goals per game. Over half of those ahead of him were playing in the run and gun era. He's also placed where he has while regularly drawing against Vezina goalies.

Would we like to see an insane year? Absolutely. Has he been terrible? Hardly. Those pushing that narrative are basically trolling or have heads lodged within posteriors.

Pretty sure he’s~ 13th in playoff ppg among active players. He hasn’t had THAT year for sure, but the narrative is tired and inaccurate