Leafs superstar Auston Matthews is just one of 3 players in the last two-plus decades to accomplish this incredible feat
It's no secret that scoring goals in this new era of hockey is much more difficult than it ever has been. With goalies playing a butterfly style of game, equipment being bigger than it has been and with goalies being much taller and able to cover more of the net, getting that rubber disc in the back of the net as isn't easy as it used to be. That is, unless of course your name is Auston Matthews.
Being an elite goal scorer is a tough gig. The game is faster and harder than it has ever been and shooters have to be obsessed with working on their shooting mechanics and find ways to unload a quick release from different positions and with velocity in order to try to sneak one past the league's top tendies. With the change of pace being quick and the evolving play styles, scoring has become a rare ability to be consistently good at. Scoring at even strength? That's even harder. For Auston Matthews, however, it's just another day at the office.
Since joining the league in 2016-2017 Auston Matthews has terrorized goalies, scoring at least forty goals three times and, just this year, scoring sixty goals for the first time since Steven Stamkos back in 2011-2012. Auston Matthews is putting the league on notice and this interesting stat shows just how effective the back-to-back Rocket Richard Trophy winner was in 2021-22.
The term "generational talent" gets thrown around an awful lot these days, but when using it to describe Matthews, it's one of the few times where that term actually rings true. We're seeing a virtuoso at work each and every season and he's only gotten better over time. Scoring 40 goals is hard enough. Scoring 44 at even-strength?.. well, I guess that's why he carries that "generational talent" tag.
| POLL | ||
3 AOUT | 507 ANSWERS Leafs superstar Auston Matthews is just one of 3 players in the last two-plus decades to accomplish this incredible feat Will Matthews score 40+ even strength goals again in 2022-23? | ||
| Yes | 395 | 77.9 % |
| No | 58 | 11.4 % |
| He'll hit 50 even strength goals | 54 | 10.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
