Matthews post game comments show he's ready for playoffs
Auston Matthews scored 2 goals against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night to become the first player in a decade, and the first Leaf ever, to reach the 60 goal mark. It's a massive achievement made so much better by the fact that he did it against the entire league, not just the North Division.
With his 2 goals Tuesday Matthews becomes one of just 3 players to score 60 goals in a season since 2000, joining Alexander Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos on that very exclusive list. Only Ovechkin and Matthews have hit both 60 goals and 100 points in that span. Post game, however, Matthews was all business.
To put this in perspective, Auston Matthews just put a cherry on top of the best season any Leaf has ever had. Doug Gilmour's 127 point season was fantastic yes, but he didn't score 40 goals let alone 60. After all that, for Matthews to say that the work isn't done, and that their goals haven't been reached yet, means a lot.
It's clear that even in the midst of a historic regular season, the playoffs are really the only thing that matter to Matthews, and the rest of the Leafs for that matter. Matthews acknowledged the crowd's reaction and that it was a truly special moment, but that line, to me, says that it's nothing but a nice bonus. The real measure of how successful this Leafs season has been will be seen starting next week. Its still unclear who the Leafs will play in round one, Tampa is their most likely opponent, but there's a chance it could be Boston. Either way, the Leafs look ready for what comes next. With their playoff win drought turning 18 this year, it couldn't have come at a better time.
Matthews' full comments are available here
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 27 | 270 ANSWERS Matthews post game comments show he's ready for playoffs Who would you rather have as the Leafs first round opponent? | ||
| Tampa | 97 | 35.9 % |
| Boston | 127 | 47 % |
| We can't just play Detroit? | 46 | 17 % |
| List of polls | ||
