Jari Kurri scored 23 in his illustrious NHL career and Teemu Selänne 22 hat tricks.
26-year-old born in Arizona, representing the Toronto Maple Leafs Austin Matthews has scored six hat-tricks this season alone, and ten hat-tricks that were unheard of in the previous three seasons. Matthews is only playing his eighth NHL season, but he already has thirteen hat tricks.
This is just one stat boost.
The goal-scoring power of the young Yankee forward is one of the hot topics of the current season. Matthews seriously played with the legendary 50–50 balance this season as well. The last time 50 goals in 50 matches were scored in the season 1991–1992, with Brett Hull.
In the NHL’s hundred-year history, only five different players have reached the extraordinary balance, and only eight times in total.
Matthews was supposed to be the sixth.
Matthews scored an incredible 49 hits in the first 53 games this season.
Toronto’s top scorer is on pace for 74 goals right now. The reading is put into context when you understand that the last time the 70-goal barrier was broken in the season 1992–1993. Then Alexander Mogilny and Selänne shared the goal exchange win with 76 goals.
How is it possible that Auston Matthews rattles off reads and interceptions that many didn’t think he could do anymore?
– A 50–50 thing like that shouldn’t be possible. The salt of the NHL is when the players compete to see who is the best. There are other star players and some who have perhaps been more successful as a team than Matthews. What is Matthews’ answer to them? Score a hell of a lot of goals, played in the NHL myself Ville Nieminen says.
Nieminen comes in with an income angle that is less talked about: NHL and Ice Hockey are also individual sports after all. Just as About Aleksandr Ovetškin has all the years exuded a huge fire towards scoring goals, the same haunts Auston Matthews.
Goalkeeper who represented Tampa and Calgary in his playing career in the NHL Karri Rämö rehabilitated himself after a knee injury in Toronto in the fall of 2016 and got to see the quality of character of the young American player.
– He has a huge fire and passion for scoring goals. It’s a trait that unites goal scorers. It can even be seen during training or warm-ups. In general, ice hockey players just lick pucks into an empty goal, but Matthews is still playing the game in his mind. He covers all bets even then, takes the puck for protection and shoots from there into the empty goal.
– Every time he shoots, there is some trick or thought in the background. Because of that, the repetition rates of the shots are absolutely incredible. He has been practicing shooting to extremes in order to gain an advantage in scoring situations.
Practiced models
Matthews has been able to create an advantage for himself during his eight years in the NHL. Already two years ago, he scored 60 hits in the season and the 40-goal mark has been hit six times. The finishing pace is exceptionally hard to compare it to anything.
Only With Mike Bossy (0.76) and Wayne Gretzkyllä (0.75) was a higher scoring rate per game than the Yankee center in his career. Matthews has 0.65 hits per game so far. For example, OvetÅ¡kin’s reading is 0.6 and Selänte’s is 0.47.
If OvetÅ¡kin now has 836 hits, Matthews’ pace would take this to 908 in the same number of matches. The reading would be the highest in NHL history.
So how does magic happen in games?
– He has a constant readiness to shoot and on top of that comes the desire and passion for scoring. Technically, the ability to cover a shot combined with the power of the shot is poison for goalkeepers. You have to understand that that shot goes out unexpectedly hard. He gets the puck under cover and is able to pull off that shot. That’s how it becomes really strong, and when it’s still accurate, goals are scored, Rämö begins.
Nieminen comps.
– He is an exceptional player who is able to get that launch point from anywhere. That’s where the last blur comes from and he can shoot between the legs or glove down to the armpit. Even in a hurry, he has the ability to find openings from there. And we shouldn’t forget that he creates a lot of goal chances through possessions.
Chance has little to do with big-picture goals, if Rämö is to be believed. Of course, Matthews has an exceptional range of shots: there is a punch shot, an exceptional one-timer from the top of the stage as well as sharp wrist shots, but it’s about more.
– There are a lot of practiced models for scoring goals, and even in them the repetition rates are unlimited. He constantly knows where to shoot in any given situation. He doesn’t have to look at where the gap in the goalkeeper is. The solutions come from the spinal cord level.
And Matthews is still not just a scoring machine. In two seasons, he had more assists than goals. This brings the American star into the game only adds elements and threat.
– He is able to slow down the game and explore other options if the shooting spot doesn’t open up for him. He recognizes situations really well and is able to turn away from time to time and make the game completely different. Then I see amazing players and different kinds of games, Rämö praises.
The best of all times?
The NHL of the new era offers unprecedented coverage of an exceptional level of individual skill, starting with About Connor McDavid. Many are already ready to call Edmonton’s and the league’s number one star the best ice hockey player of all time.
Now the question is: can Auston Matthews be called the best scorer of all time already? Finally, this season’s artillery would give the view full support.
– Of course you can be invited. In this time, it is more difficult to play and score goals, Nieminen answers.
– He has already been the sport’s best scorer. The pile has all the elements that we can start talking about him as the top scorer of all time. If he just stays healthy, then records will be broken, Rämö says.