This Lightning rookie stopped Auston Matthews from hitting a big milestone.
During Wednesday's matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nikita Kucherov became just the fifth player in NHL history to record 100 assists in a single season. However, Kucherov was not the only player looking to hit a significant feat in this matchup.
Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews entered this matchup against the Lightning with 69 goals on the season and ended the night with just as many. As a result, his push for a 70-goal season was unsuccessful.
So, who stopped Matthews from making history? Lightning third-string goaltender Matt Tomkins.
Tomkins had a solid night between the pipes for the Bolts, saving 34 out of 38 shots. However, a whopping 12 of those shots came from Matthews alone. This was an excellent way for the 29-year-old NHL rookie to end his season, and stopping the game's top goal-scorer, Matthews, from reaching such a significant milestone is the cherry on top.
Tomkins has been such a feel-good story for the Lightning this year. You don't see many 29-year-olds make their NHL debuts, but the Edmonton native worked incredibly hard for this opportunity. In six games between the pipes for the Lightning this year, he had a 3-2-1 record, a 3.33 GAA, and a .892 SV%.
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