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We get it, Auston. You’re good at hockey.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are only five games into the season but it seems that every time they hit the ice, Mr. Matthews feels the need to remind the world that he’s pretty alright at the sport.
AM34 netted his eighth and ninth goals of the year (both on the man advantage) in Toronto’s 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night. It feels like we’re running out of words and statistics to comprehend his electric start to the campaign.
This one from Jonas Siegel of The Athletic is pretty good, though.
In the last 30 years, four players have scored nine goals in their first five games: Mario Lemieux, Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Marleau, and now, Auston Matthews.
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) October 12, 2018
Interestingly enough, Ovechkin completed the feat just last season. He finished the campaign with 40 goals in his remaining 77 games.
The big reason for Matthews’ success? The 21-year-old is shooting at over 50%! (53% to be exact). He’s only needed 17 shots to score his nine goals. Seriously, dude.
With at least one marker in each game so far this year, he also made a little bit of Leafs history.
Auston Matthews is the 3rd player in @MapleLeafs franchise history, and 1st in 74 years, to score a goal in each of the team’s 1st 5+ games of a season:
Sweeney Schriner (1944-45): 9 goals in 6 GP@AM34 (2018-19): 8 goals in 5 GP
Corb Denneny (1921-22): 7 goals in 5 GP#NHLStats pic.twitter.com/nUcVa1PvQU— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 12, 2018
Want more numbers? I don’t care whether you do or not. I got ’em for you.
Auston Matthews is the 12th player in NHL history to record multiple points in each of his team’s first five games of a season.
The last time that happened was in 2012-13, when @AM34‘s current teammate Patrick Marleau did so alongside Joe Thornton. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/6LOJafRXhm
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 12, 2018
One more for you that might be surprising: Matthews now has four power-play tallies in 2018-19. In 62 games last year, he only found the back of the net five times on the man advantage. The most power-play goals he’s scored in a single season is eight when he played all 82 contests of his rookie campaign.
If you ask me, the decision to put John Tavares, Morgan Rielly and three centremen on the team’s top power play unit is looking pretty smart right about now.
Speaking of which, Toronto has scored on 50% of their power play opportunities this season.
That’s a big reason why this is a reality:
NHL scoring leaders:
1. Morgan Rielly
1. Auston Matthews
3. Mitch Marner
3. John Tavares— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) October 12, 2018
No matter how you look at the numbers though, I’m sure that Auston Matthews and Co. are only focused on one stat – their team’s record. At the end of the day, that’s what matters and that looks pretty good too. They’re 4-1-0 and sitting atop the Atlantic Division.
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