Matthews: Most goals by a Leafs rookie
Toronto legend Wendel Clark thought his mark would fall after ‘second period of the first game’
TORONTO — Auston Matthews has found a place all to himself in the Maple Leafs record book.
And the 2016-17 regular season isn’t quite over yet.
Matthews scored his 35th goal on Tuesday night, setting a Leafs record for most by a rookie in one season.
The previous mark was 34 goals, set by Wendel Clark in 66 games in 1985-86.
And Clark couldn’t have been happier that Matthews shoved him aside.
“It’s good,” Clark said emphatically during the first intermission of the Leafs’ game against the Florida Panthers at the Air Canada Centre. “If we’re going to be any good, we need these young guys breaking all this stuff and doing well.”
Matthews beat Panthers goalie James Reimer at 11:54 of the first period on a low shot after taking a pass from Zach Hyman. Fellow freshman William Nylander also assisted on the goal, which gave the Leafs a 1-0 lead.
Leo Komarov also scored for the Leafs in the first period, and the Leafs went on to win 3-2 after Hyman’s fourth short-handed goal of the season stood as the winner.
The Leafs improved to 87 points, further solidifying their third-place spot in the Atlantic Division.
The Matthews goal also marked the 14th time this season he’s opened the scoring, tying the Leafs record set by Dave Andreychuk in 1992-93.
Nylander extended his point streak to 12 games, at the same time extending his Leafs rookie record. It’s also tied for the longest point streak in the NHL this season.
Goaltender Curtis McElhinney, starting as Frederik Andersen recovers from an upperbody injury, was excellent.
Reilly Smith, who cut the Leafs lead to 2-1, and Jaromir Jagr, in the final minute, scored for Florida.
Reimer, who has a concussion history, left the game in the second period after he suffered an upper-body injury in a collision at the net. Reto Berra took over.
Clark was asked when he thought his record might be in jeopardy this season. Daniel Marois came close in 198889, scoring 31 as a Leafs rookie.
“Second period of the first game,” Clark said, drawing laughter.
Of course, on opening night, Matthews scored four goals against the Ottawa Senators.
That Matthews, the first pick overall in the 2016 NHL draft, has 35 goals and is a favourite to win the Calder Trophy isn’t what impresses Clark most.
“Some of the situations and defensive responsibilities the coach is asking him to do, that is probably more impressive, and accepting it with a grin on his face,” Clark said. “Those are the big things when you’re talking about what he does, not necessarily the stats, but the other things he’s learning as a 19-year-old.”
The goal was Matthews’ 62nd point in 75 games and it put him four off the Leafs rookie points record of 66, set by Peter Ihnacak in 1982-83.
For Clark, Matthews brings to mind former Leafs captain Mats Sundin.
“He has a real nose and sometimes does a lot of things like Mats does (or did),” Clark said. “He can be with guys or he can be on his own and he’s still dangerous.
“It’s hard to handle. He plays with guys, can make passes and sees the ice well.”
As for actually putting the puck in the net, Clark made a crucial point about Matthews.
“Goal scorers score from everywhere on anything and usually not in places you think,” Clark said. “They’re in the net. The pretend goal-scorers are going high-top glove all the time. Auston is low, between the legs, blocker side, he’s going percentages of what’s going to happen.
“He really thinks the game, more about how to get the goal than to be the pretty goal.”
Matthews’ goal easily was the most noteworthy event of the game, but there was one other oddity that most observers claimed to have never seen.
Leafs defenceman Roman Polak was penalized for high-sticking the Panthers’ Jonathan Huberdeau late in the second period, and visibly was upset at the call.
Replays showed it was a puck that hit Huberdeau in the face, not Polak’s stick, and after referees Kevin Pollock and Brian Pochmara met with the linesmen, the penalty was waved off.
Naturally, Panthers coach Tom Rowe went bonkers.