The Toronto Maple Leafs had a massive game against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday (April 13) as the Red Wings tried to keep their playoff hopes alive. While the Maple Leafs came away with a point, they were bested in overtime and lost the game 5-4. As the Maple Leafs look to build momentum heading into the postseason, superstar forward Auston Matthews has been having one of the strongest offensive seasons in recent history. Earlier this season, Matthews reached the 60-goal plateau and has begun pushing for the 70-goal plateau. Unfortunately, Maple Leafs’ head coach, Sheldon Keefe, has deemed his pursuit a distraction.
Following the loss to the Red Wings, Matthews got his goal total up to 69, and with two games left in the regular season, it seems likely he’ll reach the 70-goal mark. The crowd was electric during the game and clearly wanted Matthews to reach the plateau at home to help give the Maple Leafs a win. Unfortunately, Keefe labeled their anticipation a major distraction and admitted he even got caught up in it rather than focusing on helping make the right decisions to help the team pick up a win.
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While the statement may be taken as a shot at the fans, who were loud all game, it should be viewed as Keefe taking responsibility for focusing more on an individual stat instead of the best interest of the team. Everyone wants Matthews to reach the 70-goal plateau, even fans who don’t cheer for the Maple Leafs, because it’s something that hasn’t been reached since the 1992-93 season when Alex Mogilny and Teemu Selanne both had 76 goals. While not impossible, hitting the 70-goal plateau is a rare feat, and if Matthews can do it, he would be labeled amongst legends and would likely be considered one of, if not the strongest offensive Maple Leafs forward of all time.
Matthews on the Brink of History
There have only been 14 instances of a player hitting the 70-goal plateau in a single season, and only eight players total have done it. Matthews would add his name to that list of Wayne Gretzky, Phil Esposito, Jari Kurri, Mario Lemieux, Bernie Nicholls, Brett Hull, Selanne, and Mogilny. Matthews’ goalscoring ability early on in his career is something we haven’t seen since the emergence of Alex Ovechkin who is close to having the most goals scored all time. If Matthews can maintain even close to the offensive production he’s been having this early in his career, he could be next in line to surpass Gretzky and could even make a push for the 1000-goal total when all is said and done.
Keefe’s post-game comments prove what everyone is thinking, though, which is that the milestone for Matthews is on everyone’s mind. What’s even crazier for Matthews is how strong his defensive game has been on top of his offensive game. It’s rare to find a player who can dominate at both ends of the ice like Matthews can, and that’s why his name will rightfully be placed among some of the best players to ever play.
The Maple Leafs will finish their season with matchups against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Both the Panthers and Lightning are in the playoffs this season and could be potential opponents, so these final two games should be fun to watch. Despite Keefe’s comments, hopefully, he and the rest of the team can build some momentum heading into the first round of the playoffs and can also celebrate Matthews hitting the 70-goal plateau.