Toronto Maple Leafs
PHOTOS: Maple Leafs Star Auston Matthews Reacts to Becoming the Only Active Player in the NHL to Have Two 60-Goal Seasons
Matthews scored his 60th goal of the season in the third period of the Leafs 3-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday
BUFFALO — Auston Matthews wouldn't be denied.
Despite being initially stopped by Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's pad, the Toronto Maple Leafs star persisted. Eventually, he positioned himself in front of the net and secured his 60th goal of the season, the second time he reached this milestone, contributing to his team's 3-0 victory over the Sabres in front predominantly pro-Maple Leafs crowd at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Saturday.
"It means a lot," Matthews said after the game. "Obviously, it’s as much of a team accomplishment, in my opinion, as an individual one and it’s always a fun atmosphere here with all the blue and white in the stands.
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It was only fitting that Matthews accomplished the feat in Buffalo. It was the same venue where the player was drafted back in 2016 with the first overall pick in the draft. From the very beginning of the game, Leafs fans were chanting "We! Want! 60!"."
"I’ve heard it the last couple games," Matthews admitted. ":I just try and stay focused and just go out there and play my game. I feel like the last couple of games, plenty of really good chances, not all of them have gone in, but I knew if I stayed with it, keep shooting it and fortunate for that one to land in my feet there and bang it home."
Matthews became just the ninth player in NHL history to record at least two 60-goal season. He accomplished the first one in the 2021-22 season when he finished the campaign with 60 goals and 46 assists in 73 games and won his first Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player.
This year, it took him one fewer game and he's got nine games to go to try and become the first player to reach 70 since both Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogily scored 76 during the 1992-93 season.
Matthews never indulges in any of his individual accomplishments, usually pushing his focus on what the team has managed to do. But he was able to step back a bit when he was told that not only was he the ninth player in NHL history to reach to 60-goal mark in a season at least twice in his career, but that he's also the only active player to have done it.
"It’s hard to think about stuff like that. Honestly, it’s special. Obviously, [I[ try and pride myself on playing a full 200-foot game and I know I can score and just try and compete every night," Matthews said.
It became a significant milestone for Matthews and the Maple Leafs when he surpassed Rick Vaive's record for most goals (54) in a season during 2021-22. Now, each goal Matthews scores will mark him surpassing his own record from that remarkable season.
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