Auston Matthews set to break a record held by Darryl Sittler this week

The Leafs officially kick off 2023 tonight in a matchup with the St. Louis Blues after ending 2022 on a winning note in Colorado. Auston Matthews was dangerously close to setting a new Leafs record on December 31st, but instead of recording his 500th point in game number 444 on New Year's Eve, it looks like he'll gave to settle for scoring point number 500 on game number 445 in the Leafs' first game of 2023.

If Matthews can notch point number 500 tonight in Toronto, he'll be the fastest Leaf of all time to reach the 500-point plateau at 445 games. The current record-holder, Darryl Sittler, did it in 517.

For Matthews, he's gone on the record on multiple occasions this season, stating that personal accolades are cool, but they're not where his focus is right now. Matthews wants to win - and win when it matters. The postseason is what's most important to him and the rest of the Leafs, so he'll look to keep his focus on how the team plays in the spring (and hopefully deep into the summer) rather than regular season setting records.

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