Of the five games the Toronto Maple Leafs have won with Morgan Rielly on the shelf, this wasn’t the easiest. Still, the team finally took over and scored a 6-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes on the road in Phoenix. However, two Maple Leafs first-line players – Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies – are local lads who grew up in the area. Both had fans and family in the audience. In his game against the Coyotes, Matthews scored his 50th and 51st goals of the season. That made him the fastest U.S.-born player to reach 50 goals in a season.
Related: Matthews Goes for 50 as Maple Leafs Face Struggling Coyotes
It was Matthews’ family that probably emerged the happiest. Mom and Dad Matthews watched their son rewrite the record books and achieve yet another milestone in his remarkable career.
Matthews Didn’t Let the Suspense Build Before Goal 50
The historic moment when Matthews scored his 50th goal of the season came early in the game. The Maple Leafs had a power play, and Matthews quickly converted just 5:01 into the game. It was his 54th game of the season. That feat parallels hockey legends like Mario Lemieux, who achieved the same milestone in 50 games during the 1995-96 season. Only Wayne Gretzky has done the 50-goal trick at a faster pace, scoring his 50th goal in just 39 games back in 1981-82.
The hockey gods had to be smiling at Matthews because he added his 51st goal of the season most fortuitously. Matthews found to the left of the goalie when Mitch Marner threw one into traffic. The puck bounced off a player or two and then off Matthews’ shoulder and into the net. His second-period goal was an example of being in the right place at the right time.
With the goal, Matthews now has scored nine goals in his last four games. In addition, during his career, he now has put up a total of 350 goals in 535 games. It’s an amazing accomplishment.
Matthews Only Played About Three Minutes in the Third Period
Although Matthews might have had a chance for yet another hat trick, head coach Sheldon Keefe took a longer view. With the game being controlled by the Maple Leafs, he gave the depth players more time on the ice. There would be no third goal for Matthews on this night.
As Matthews celebrates this achievement, the team’s focus isn’t just on his numbers. Instead, they are sending a message to the hockey world that they are building up steam for a playoff run. They want their high-scoring center to be as well-rested as he can be for the long haul.
Related: Maple Leafs Big Question: What to Do With Ilya Samsonov?
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