Auston Matthews back to back hat tricks

[Johnnybegood13]

He's a regular season beast for sure.


Not even close to the best until he starts showing up in the playoffs and that's the truth.

That's why I said when healthy, last two playoffs he wasn't.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

huh? where are you getting that age 29 number from? Ovechkin was 31 when Matthews played his first NHL game

and for the record Ovechkin is the only player to lead the league in goals at age 31+ since Esposito did it playing with Orr almost 50 years ago so 31 is ancient as far as top end goalscoring goes

You're right about the age. Either way, he wasn't an old man and Matthews has outscored the best goal scorer in NHL history (and everyone else) over the last 7+ years. My point was about the consistency part. In what crazy universe can that not be considered consistent?

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Now known as a Mattrick. No?

 

[93gilmour93]

Did they even have pucks back then?

Frozen Road Apples

Now known as a Mattrick. No?

 

[Voight]

I think this is the season Matthews shuts up alot of the haters. Good for him and fun to watch a big skilled hockey player do his thing.

I honestly thought that would happen in 2022 after he won the Hart & Pearson.

& for those who continue to try and push the narrative that he only won because of the Toronto media he had 119 first place votes to McDavids 29. We dont have the data for the Pearson votes but his peers clearly thought he was more deserving of it than McDavid. Even tho he was the reigning Hart winner, Voter fatigue argument doesn't really work either seeing as Draisaitl & Kucherov had won it the two preceding years.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Did they even have pucks back then?

They did, but they didn’t have forward passing.

 

[Voight]

Crazy how underrated Matthews is.

Two insane goal scoring years that would have been 60+ back to back in 82 games.

One down year last season and people were saying he wasn't close to Ovechkin lol.

He had a career worse shooting % (went from 16.2, 18.5, 17.2 three previous seasons all the way down to 12.2) and people acted like that was going to be the new norm for him. I'm sure his nagging wrist injury was the cause of that, nice to see him fully healthy.

 

[Voight]

I am not talking about the praise, nobody doubts that Matthews is a great player (how good is debatable and will always be). But about the fact that two games ago a vast part of the Leafs community had been shitting on Matthews themselves, some requesting to trade him away, especially if he asks for too much money, whereas they now join this thread to go after fans of different teams who criticized Matthews as well (and often in a less hateful way than Leafs fans). It's just funny.

Somehow I doubt that. I dont disagree that some fans said those kinds of things (every fanbase has its share of village idiots) but "vast" isn't the word I'd use.

He's the teams best player, one of the best players in the league and trending to be the best player in franchise history. Nobody ever wants their team to trade those types of guys.

 

[KevinRedkey]

Scoring a hat-trick 3 games in a row has literally never happened in the NHL before.

If Matthews doesn't do it in game 3, but does in game 4 - he will be the first person in over 100 years to open the season with 3 hat tricks in 4 games.

Only 6 players have ever gotten 3 hat tricks in a 4 game span:
Alexander Mogilny in 1992-93 (3-2-3-3)
Rick Tocchet in 1987-88 (3-1-4-3)
Babe Dye in 1922-23 (5-0-3-3)
Joe Malone in 1920-21 (3-2-4-3)
Newsy Lalonde in 1918-19 (3-1-4-3)
Cy Denneny in 1917-18 (3-3-2-4) <---This was to start the season

He basically has the next 2 games to make history. Pretty exciting TBH.

 

[tapi]

Mark my words Auston is going to hit 70 this year, barring injuries. He was struggling last year (likely due to injured wrist), but that does not change the fact he is the best goal scorer in the modern history of the game.

 

[Johnnybegood13]

Mark my words Auston is going to hit 70 this year, barring injuries. He was struggling last year (likely due to injured wrist), but that does not change the fact he is the best goal scorer in the modern history of the game.

For the record I can't stand Toronto, it's been that way since I was a kid and I hope I die of old age before they ever win a cup again but Matthews is my favorite player to watch, goal scoring? probably the best release ever with AO a close second and he can score in more ways than any other player since Gretzky. McDavid and his 25 minutes a game and one dimensional offence first and PP points are great for the media and Oiler fans but I would take Auston in a minute over him.

Hogtown and their fans are a bunch of luck-sacs to have him.

 

[TheRumble]

I honestly thought that would happen in 2022 after he won the Hart & Pearson.

& for those who continue to try and push the narrative that he only won because of the Toronto media he had 119 first place votes to McDavids 29. We dont have the data for the Pearson votes but his peers clearly thought he was more deserving of it than McDavid. Even tho he was the reigning Hart winner, Voter fatigue argument doesn't really work either seeing as Draisaitl & Kucherov had won it the two preceding years.

Oh yes, I remember the threads from the Oiler fans from that year.

First it was, Matthews isn't even as good as Draisaitl, I can't believe the Toronto Media would have the audacity to suggest he's better than McDavid

Then they he was a powerplay merchant - even though he ended up scoring 44 goals at even strength that year - that would have been good for 7th in the league in TOTAL goals.

Then they said the Hart win was tainted because Toronto Media.

Then he won the Lindsay Trophy which was voted on by the players and the Oiler fans said it was tainted because most hockey players are from Toronto.

Go look up the threads about Matthews from that year, almost every one of them was closed by a mod because of the Oiler fans.

 

[Peasy]

I honestly thought that would happen in 2022 after he won the Hart & Pearson.

& for those who continue to try and push the narrative that he only won because of the Toronto media he had 119 first place votes to McDavids 29. We dont have the data for the Pearson votes but his peers clearly thought he was more deserving of it than McDavid. Even tho he was the reigning Hart winner, Voter fatigue argument doesn't really work either seeing as Draisaitl & Kucherov had won it the two preceding years.

As long as hes on the Leafs, he will have tons of haters.

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

For the record I can't stand Toronto, it's been that way since I was a kid and I hope I die of old age before they ever win a cup again but Matthews is my favorite player to watch, goal scoring? probably the best release ever with AO a close second and he can score in more ways than any other player since Gretzky. McDavid and his 25 minutes a game and one dimensional offence first and PP points are great for the media and Oiler fans but I would take Auston in a minute over him.

Hogtown and their fans are a bunch of luck-sacs to have him.

You realize that probably most Leafs fans don't even live in actual Toronto and wouldn't (and can't) want to?

And yeah, it's nice to have a few exciting players on the Leafs........... We suck even when we're good. But, we can't have nice things or something.

 

[Toby91ca]

That’s fine, and I am on the Matthews train, the problem is just the missed games. It’s not really goals per game, it’s totals relative to age. Not only did Ovie just play more games, he’s managed to keep scoring late into his 30s. Auston would have to avoid any injuries starting now and play an extra couple of seasons and not really slow down at all. Ovie is already 38 is still scoring right around 50 a year.

Totally not suggesting Matthews is on track to match Ovechkin because I don’t think he has much chance, or way to early to predict, but main reason is ability to stay healthy and if you pass that hurdle, continue to score into late 30s.

That said, if you look at totals relative to age, it’s currently in Matthews favor currently. Matthews has 305 goals…at the exact age to the day, Ovechkin had 292 goals.

 

[Toby91ca]

Scoring a hat-trick 3 games in a row has literally never happened in the NHL before.

It’s happened 3 times, Malone twice in 1917-18 and Bossy in 1980-81. Or did you mean to open the season?

 

[goldnblack]

Already best Leaf of all time?

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Already best Leaf of all time?

Most talented by far, he just hasn't had enough playoff success to be considered best Leaf of all time.

 

[KevinRedkey]

It’s happened 3 times, Malone twice in 1917-18 and Bossy in 1980-81. Or did you mean to open the season?

No it has never happened.

Some random source wrongly stated that, and for some reason everyone believes it. Check the game log for those seasons. It never happened.

I checked literally every game for the 280 individual seasons in which a player scored 3 or more hat tricks. Not a single one of them had 3 tricks in a row.

The 6 seasons I posted are as close as anyone's gotten (3 in 4 games).

 

[v00d00daddy]

Already best Leaf of all time?

I’m not old enough to talk about what I’ve actually seen prior to the salming/Vaive era.

But since then…he’s by far the best leaf I’ve ever seen first hand.

 

[Toby91ca]

No it has never happened.

Some random source wrongly stated that, and for some reason everyone believes it. Check the game log for those seasons. It never happened.

I checked literally every game for the 280 individual seasons in which a player scored 3 or more hat tricks. Not a single one of them had 3 tricks in a row.

The 6 seasons I posted are as close as anyone's gotten (3 in 4 games).

Yes, you're totally right. I fell victim to taking someone's stats announcement as facts....perhaps because it was so specific I assumed it was fact, but didn't check it.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Already best Leaf of all time?

I've been watching since the late 90's and he is the most purely talented player I have ever seen with the Leafs. Not just his offensive skills, but his defensive skills. He is literally amazing.

 

[KevinRedkey]

Yes, you're totally right. I fell victim to taking someone's stats announcement as facts....perhaps because it was so specific I assumed it was fact, but didn't check it.

Not your fault. It was believable. I only looked into it because someone else pointed out Bossy didn't do it, which led me down the rabbit hole of figuring out if it's ever actually been done.

 

[Voight]

Already best Leaf of all time?

IMO even if he were to theoretically leave when his contracts up in 5 years, I can see him, leaving as the all time points & goals leader for the team.

Playoff success is another thing, but he's got 5 more years to make a legacy impact there.

Oh yes, I remember the threads from the Oiler fans from that year.

First it was, Matthews isn't even as good as Draisaitl, I can't believe the Toronto Media would have the audacity to suggest he's better than McDavid

Then they he was a powerplay merchant - even though he ended up scoring 44 goals at even strength that year - that would have been good for 7th in the league in TOTAL goals.

Then they said the Hart win was tainted because Toronto Media.

Then he won the Lindsay Trophy which was voted on by the players and the Oiler fans said it was tainted because most hockey players are from Toronto.

Go look up the threads about Matthews from that year, almost every one of them was closed by a mod because of the Oiler fans.

Yea that was peak HFB. Loved the "hurrrppp derrrpp Toronto media has been trying to gift Matthews the Hart every season it was bound to happen eventually" takes.

 

[Rob Brown]

IMO even if he were to theoretically leave when his contracts up in 5 years, I can see him, leaving as the all time points & goals leader for the team.

Playoff success is another thing, but he's got 5 more years to make a legacy impact there.

Yeah he's only 115 goals behind Sundin for the all time lead, so that will happen pretty easily.

He's 439 behind Sundin for points, so he needs an average of 88 points per year to pass him.

Marner is actually closer to Sundin, behind by 430 points (but has played more games than Auston). Pretty likely they both pass him and they end up the two leading points scorers.