Matthews almost did it two years ago, when, in 70 games in the 2019-20 campaign, he scored 47 goals and was one behind Alex Ovechkin and David Pastrnak for the lead in the league. However, that was when the NHL closed for the rest of the regular season, as COVID-19 was originally named a global pandemic. The center-back won his first NHL title the following year, scoring 41 in just 52 games in the Canadian Division, but never reached the 50 thanks to the shortened 2020-21 schedule. The two-time Lady Byng finalist is leading the Hart Trophy this season with a second consecutive title, probably just around the corner. He is currently beating Leon Draisaitl of the Oilers in the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy match. Matthews has also targeted the Toronto franchise record of 54 goals, set by Rick Vaive 40 years ago. Most goals in a season in #LeafsForever History: Rick Vaive (1981-82) – 54Dave Andreychuk (1993-94) – 53Rick Vaive (1983-84) – 52Gary Leeman (1989-90) – 51Rick Vaive (1982-83) – 51 – Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) March 30, 2022 Perhaps more significant than the franchise is the fact that Matthews became the first player from the United States to score at least 50 in almost a quarter of a century. Matthews did not even celebrate his first birthday when John LeClair scored 51 with the Flyers in the 1997-98 season, the last time an American had reached the half-century mark. In terms of talent, Matthews is one of the most talented American players to have ever seen hockey and has arguably become the NHL top American scorer after Brett Hull. Still just 24 years old, Matthews is just the 11th American in NHL history to score 50 goals a season. It had only happened 20 times in total before this season. six Americans have done it many times. Born in Canada but representing the United States internationally, Hull holds the five-season American record with 50 goals. Born in California and raised in Arizona, Matthews is the first American to reach the age of 50 in the payroll era. The season with 48 goals by Brian Gionta that came out of the lock in 2005-06 was the previous high for an American in the era of capitalization. 50 by Auston Matthews, by type: 22 wrist shots8 plate shots 7 backhanders6 tips5 slap shots2 wrappers – luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) April 1, 2022 Matthews was one of only 16 players in NHL history to score 40 or more rookies, which helped him win the Calder Trophy five years ago, and since that 2016-17 season his goal-per-goal percentage has improved significantly. Matthews averaged 0.56 goals per game during his first four years in the NHL, but thanks to his 91 goals in 114 games since the start of last season, his career average has skyrocketed to 0.63 goals per game. When you look at these numbers per game, you realize that Matthews is starting to fall into a category entirely his own – even compared to the great American scorers of previous years. Top goal scorers per game among retired American skaters Brett Hull 0.58 (Games: 1,269 | Goals: 741) ** Pat LaFontaine 0.54 (Games: 865 | Goals: 468) ** Joe Moulin 0.47 (Games: 62: 1 | ** Keith Tkachuk 0.45 (Games: 1.201 | Goals: 538) Jimmy Carson 0.44 (Games: 626 | Goals: 275) John Lekler 0.42 (Games: 967 | Goals: 306 Goals: 3 30 Kevin Stevens 0.38 (Games: 874 | Goals: 329 ) Mike Modano 0.37 (Games: 1,499 | Goals: 561) **** Member of HHOF Oston Matthews equals Kevin Stevens (62 GP in 1992-93) for the fewest games with 50 goals in a season among US-born players. pic.twitter.com/EvZQjFQRs1 – Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 1, 2022 Matthews is on track to score 62 goals this season, assuming he fits in with Toronto’s 15 remaining games. Hull is the only American to score more than 60 goals in a season. He did it three times in a row to start in the 1990s. Hull was 23 years old when he entered the league full-time, however, and won all three goals at the ages of 25, 26 and 27, giving Matthews the lead in Hull in that respect. Matthews has 249 goals in his first 396 appearances in the NHL regular season. Hull scored 309 in his first 396 games, averaging 0.78 goals per game. Keep in mind that the NHL team averaged more than 3.5 goals per game at the time. Hull’s production eventually leveled and averaged 0.49 goals per game from 1992-93 until his departure in 2005. Will Matthews be able to maintain his current scoring record for the rest of his contract, or is the 0.80 goal per game he has set for the last two years unsustainable? One thing is for sure, Matthews clearly dominates among his contemporaries. He has finished first or tied for first place in goals per game between the Americans in each of his first five seasons since being selected first overall by the Maple Leafs in 2016. He is ready to do so for the sixth consecutive time. Top Goals Per Match Among Active American SkatersAuston Matthews 0.63 (Games: 396 | Goals: 249) Kyle Connor 0.46 (Games: 372 | Goals: 172) Alex DeBrincat 0.44 (Games: 354 | Robertson | 70J. Games: 112 | : 48) Jake Gwenzell 0.42 (Games: 362 | Goals: 153) Josh Norris 0.39 (Games: 109 | Goals: 43) Patrick Kane 0.39 (Games: 1,093 | Goals: 40325 840 | Goals: 319) Brock Boozer 0.37 (Games: 316 | Goals: 117) Jack Eichel 0.37 (Games: 396 | Goals: 146) As you can see, two of these players have not even scored 50 career goals, so even in cases where averages tend to fluctuate more easily due to small sample sizes, Matthews is still well ahead of the pack. Despite the influx of US talent into the league, there were only 13 other cases before this season when an American scored 40 or more goals in the salary-cap era, excluding Matthews. Then every player on this list, except Matthews, needed at least 80 games to get there – Matthews needed 49 games to score 40th in the table last season and 53 games this season. The score is high throughout the league this year, with teams averaging 3.11 goals per game – the highest since 2005-06 – and compatriots Chris Crainder and Kyle Connor joining Matthews in the squad. 40 goals in March. Both could also reach 50 for the first time in their respective careers. No. 34 is the No. 1 overall goal of an American dating back to his four-goal NHL debut in 2016. He has an impressive 75-goal cushion on Patrick Kane, even though he played 39 games less. Most goals in an American’s regular season from 2016-171. Auston Matthews 2492. Patrick Kane 1743. Kyle Connor 1724. Chris Kreider 1625. Anders Lee 1596. Alex DeBrincat 1577. Jake Guentzel 1538. Joe Pavelski 1529. Cam Atkinson 15010 Johnny Gaudreau. Matthews also recently overtook Ovechkin to claim first place among all players regardless of nationality. Most goals in the NHL regular season from 2016-171. Auston Matthews 2492. Alex Ovechkin 2473. Leon Draisaitl 2274. Connor McDavid 2165. David Pastrnak 2136. Brad Marchand 1967. Jake Guentzel 1538. Sebastian Aho 1769. Patrick Patrick 107. Matthews’s 188 equivalent goals have been ranked number one among all players since he entered the league and the 42 winners of the match are second only to McDavid’s 45 during this period. AM34’s spectacular 0.80 goals per game from the start of last season would put him on pace for around 65 goals during an entire 82-game season. He played all 82 games as a rookie, but since then he has not been fit for more than 70 in a season. Only two players had 60 goals in the league season: Ovechkin’s 65 in 2007-08 and Steven Stamkos’s 60 in 2011-12. Matthews’s increased scoring rate over the last two seasons has led his career goals per game to exceed Ovechkin’s career average of 0.61 – at least for now. Top Goal Rates Per Capital Season 1. Auston Matthews 0.63 (Games: 396 | Goals: 249) 2. Alex Ovechkin 0.61 (Games: 1.263 | Goals: 772) 3. Steven Stamkos 0.52 (Games: 906 | Goals: 469) 4. Connor McDavid 0.49 (Games: 474 | Goals: 232) 5. Ilya Kovalchuk 0.48 (Games: 699 | Goals: 335) 6. David Pasternak 0.47 (Games: 505 | Goals: 238) 7. Sidney Crosby 0.47 (Games: 1,096 | Goals: 511) 8. Kyle Connor 0.46 (Games: 372 | Goals: 172) 9. Leon Draisaitl 0.45 (Games: 546 | Goals: 248) 10. Evgeni Malkin 0.45 (Games: 972 | Goals: 441) Matthews and Ovechkin rarely have company with these career averages. Only four others in modern-day hockey – Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux, Pavel Bure and Wayne Gretzky – have averaged 0.60 goals per game or better throughout their careers with at least 200 goals. This is the elite company. In fact, only seven players in NHL history have scored more goals than Matthews in their first 396 regular season games. The only active player with more goals in this period to start his career is Ovechkin. Most goals in the first 396 NHL1 games. Wayne Gretzky 3572. Mario Lemieux 3183. Mike Bossy 3154. Brett Hull 3095. Alex Ovechkin 2696. Jari Kurri 2607. Teemu Selänne 2578. Auston Matthews 249 When Ovechkin overtook Jaromir Jagr to finish third on the NHL all-time goalscore list, he rekindled discussions about whether the Russian winger was the all-time leading scorer and would eventually break The Great’s record. One. We have already proven that Matthews is the best American scorer after Hull, but can Matthews go into the bigger debate? Goals per game of AM34 2016-17: 0.492017-18: 0.552018-19: 0.542019-20: 0.672020-21: 0.792021-22: 0.82 … (up to 6
