Matthews wows with yet another hat trick in drubbing of Ducks
Auston Matthews seems to have taken his game to another level.
The Toronto Maple Leafs superstar came into this season as arguably the most reliable goal-scorer in the NHL, but his ability to find the back of the net has gone from incredible to otherworldly in recent months.
Matthews registered a hat trick less than halfway through Saturday's 9-2 drubbing of the Anaheim Ducks. He racked up only 14:52 of ice time because of the lopsided nature of the contest. He added a pair of assists, giving him his first career five-point game.
Auston Matthews has a hat trick. Also the sky is blue. pic.twitter.com/PRLgZFU1TQ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 18, 2024
"I've gone through the phase where you're in awe of Auston, but this is like a new standard. ... "It's pretty remarkable," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said postgame.
Matthews has notched three goals in consecutive games for the second time this season. He's the first NHL player with back-to-back hat tricks on multiple occasions since Wayne Gretzky in 1983-84, according to Sportsnet Stats.
Keefe noted that other teams are well aware of the pace Matthews has been on, but perhaps the most impressive part of his game is that he keeps finding ways to light the lamp.
"As much as Auston has been scoring, you know teams are talking about him," Keefe said, adding, "And one of the greatest things about Auston is he continues to find ways to get available and get to spots."
Matthews also set a franchise record with his sixth total hat trick this season, which is the most for any player since Mario Lemieux had six in 1995-96. He has now registered an incredible 33 goals over his last 31 games.
Auston Matthews became the 10th different player in NHL history to score six hat tricks in a season... and he's still got 29 more games to play. 😳 #NHLStats: https://t.co/V23PubW1au pic.twitter.com/D4My8oXy7t
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 18, 2024
Matthews was quite pleased to learn that his six hat tricks have placed him in the company of Lemieux.
"It's obviously hard to put into words to be in the same sentence as a guy like that," Matthews said. "Definitely pretty cool."
The three-goal barrage puts Matthews' season total at 48 goals through 53 games, and he's now on pace for just under 75 tallies. No one has reached that rarefied air since Alexander Mogilny and Teemu Selanne each scored 76 during the 1992-93 campaign.
Matthews will look to add to his total Monday afternoon when the Leafs travel to St. Louis for a matinee against the Blues.