Fastest to 50 (And Beyond)
02/22/2024
By: Jeff Yoder
Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews Becomes Fastest Player to Reach 50 Goals in a Season Since Mario Lemieux (1995-96)
There have been a lot of hockey records being rewritten over the past two seasons, and we can add another to the list. Auston Matthews tallied his 50th goal of the season on Wednesday in the Maple Leafs’ 6-3 win over the Coyotes in Toronto. He actually added his 51st, too. That’s 51 goals in just 54 games this season for Matthews as he became the fastest player to score 50 in an NHL season since before he was born — 28 years. Mario Lemieux did it in 50 games with the Penguins (1995-96). Wayne Gretzky holds the record at just 39 games (1981-82). It’s the fastest any American-born player has reached 50 goals in NHL history, and the chase doesn’t stop there for Matthews.
Matthews Chasing History
Toronto’s 26-year-old is having his best season yet after putting together back-to-back hat tricks coming out of the All-Star break. He’s scored nine goals in the last four games, and the Leafs have won five straight. Matthews is currently on pace to score 76 goals by season’s end. That would put him in elite company as just the seventh player ever to surpass the 75-goal milestone in a season. That list includes names like Gretzky, Hull, Lemieux and Esposito.
Watch: Auston Matthews Notches 50th Goal in 54 Games as Leafs Romp Coyotes (6-3)
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Photo: Mark Blinch / Getty Images