Auston Matthews takes another step towards legendary status
It's hard not to think of Auston Matthews as the talented young kid anymore, because he's still such a young player, but he truly is one of the best centers in the NHL right now and he's working his way towards being one of the best Leafs of all time.
Matthews scored a hat trick in Monday night's game against the Devils and added an assist for good measure. His third goal, an empty net dart from his own zone, marked his 400th point in the blue and white in only his 372nd game. With that goal, Matthews became the fastest player to ever score 400 points from the start their career for the Leafs.
On Tuesday, Matthews was right back at it, scoring his 29th goal of the season, good for a share of 3rd in the league, along with Alexander Ovechkin in the Rocket Richard race, just 2 goals behind Chris Kreider and Leon Draisaitl, who each have 31 goals this season.
With his 50th point of the season on Tuesday night, Matthews becomes the first player in franchise history to begin his career with 6 consecutive 50+ point seasons.
Matthews has given Leafs Nation a lot to be thankful for in terms of entertainment value, but in order to cement himself as a Leafs legend, it goes without saying that Matthews will need to help lead the Leafs on a healthy postseason run and sign a long-term extension when he comes due. Until then, we get the privilege of watching what was once a talented rookie grow into a generational talent, and hopefully, into one of the Leafs' all time greats.
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