Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews scored his 60th goal of the season Saturday during his team's 3-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres.
60
— NHL (@NHL) March 31, 2024
Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/YlALc6i3nh
The eruption of the crowd made it seem like a home game, but Matthews hit the milestone at KeyBank Arena in Buffalo, which had been overtaken by Leafs fans.
"It means a lot, obviously. This is as much of a team accomplishment in my opinion as an individual one," Matthews said postgame. "It's always a fun atmosphere here with all the blue and white in the stands. Definitely pretty cool."
Matthews joined elite company in the process, becoming only the ninth player in NHL history to reach the mark in multiple campaigns. He also scored 60 during his Hart Trophy-winning season in 2021-22.
| Player | 60-goal seasons |
|---|---|
| Mike Bossy | 5 |
| Wayne Gretzky | 5 |
| Mario Lemieux | 4 |
| Phil Esposito | 4 |
| Brett Hull | 3 |
| Auston Matthews | 2 |
| Pavel Bure | 2 |
| Jari Kurri | 2 |
| Steve Yzerman | 2 |
"It's hard to think about stuff like that, honestly," Matthews said when asked about being the only active player to hit the mark. "It's special, obviously."
There have only been six 60-goal seasons since 1996-97. Alex Ovechkin (2007-08), Steven Stamkos (2011-12), David Pastrnak (2022-23), and Connor McDavid (2022-23) are responsible for the other four.
Nobody has scored 70 goals in a season since Alexander Mogilny and Teemue Selanne each notched 76 in 1992-93. Matthews will need 10 goals in his final nine games to reach the mark - an unlikely, but not impossible task with his uncanny scoring ability.
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