Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Penalty kill time on horizon
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Matthews will see more regular time on the penalty kill this season, reports The Athletic.
Matthews has only seen a total of about 24 minutes on the PK in nearly 500 NHL games. And he's never really killed penalties, period, but that's about to change. Matthews is one of the NHL's best 5v5 players and always among the league leaders in takeaways. So, the threat of a steal -- and of AM34 taking off shorthanded with a lot of open ice -- will certainly put extra pressure on opposing PPs. Matthews won't be one of the Leafs top options on the PK -- those minutes belong to Mitchell Marner, David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok, with Sam Lafferty getting some, too. The only negative? Playing on the PK means that 5v5 time always drops a bit. That's less than ideal if you're one of the NHL's best 5v5 players, especially for fantasy managers needing that even-strength production. But it won't be enough to affect his draft spot or overall fantasy worth.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Makes four-year commitment to Leafs
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Matthews agreed to a four-year, $53 million contract extension with Toronto on Wednesday.
Matthews has one campaign left on his existing five-year, $58.195 million contract, so he's now committed to the Maple Leafs through 2027-28. His $13.25 million cap hit is set to be the highest in the league in 2024-25, but that's understandable considering he's reached the 40-goal milestone in each of the last four years. In 2021-22, he scored 60 goals and 106 points in 73 outings en route to capturing the Hart Trophy. Still just 25, Matthews should remain an elite forward throughout the duration of his contract extension.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Eight-game, 11-point streak
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Matthews got a power-play assist in a 3-2 loss to Florida on Thursday in Game 2.
He fired six shots and laid four hits. Matthews is doing his part this postseason -- he has delivered points in every playoff game (five goals, six assists; eight games). But the Leafs are down 2-0 heading into Game 3 in Florida. Matthews is a great player, but he and Mitchell Marner (12 points) can't do it all.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Scoring streak reaches seven games
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Matthews registered an assist in Toronto's 4-2 loss to Florida in Game 1 on Tuesday.
Matthews has recorded a point in each of his first seven postseason outings this year and is on an 11-game playoff scoring streak that began during Toronto's 2022 series against Tampa Bay. He has seven goals and 14 points in that span. During the 2023 playoffs specifically, Matthews has contributed five goals and 10 points.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Four-game goal streak
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Matthews scored a goal Saturday in a 2-1 overtime win over Tampa Bay in Game 6. With the win, Toronto took the opening round series 4-2.
Matthews scored his fifth goal of the postseason with a one-timer from the top of the right circle in the second period. He had called for the puck and T.J. Brodie obliged with a perfect pass from the left point. Matthews is riding a four-game, five-goal streak, and he has points (five goals, four assists) in all six of the Leafs games this postseason.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Five-game, eight-point streak
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Matthews scored a goal in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Lightning in Game 5.
Matthews put in a rebound at the side of the net at 16:26 of the third with Ilya Samsonov pulled for a 6-on-5 advantage to stretch his goal streak to three games (four goals). He has put up points in all five of the Leafs postseason games (four goals, four assists).
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Sparks Leafs' comeback win
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Matthews netted two goals, including one on the power play, in the Maple Leafs' 5-4 overtime victory over Tampa Bay in Game 4 on Monday.
With Toronto down 4-1 heading into the third period, Matthews took matters into his own hands. The star forward provided back-to-back goals midway through the third period to spark the Leafs' eventual comeback by narrowing the Lightning's lead to 4-3. Matthews is up to three goals and seven points in four playoff games this year. He's also been held off the scoresheet only once over his last seven outings.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: First goal and first NHL fight
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Matthews scored his first playoff goal this season in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over Tampa Bay in Game 3.
In a strange and rare twist, Matthews also fought Steven Stamkos in the third period after the Bolts' center started throwing punches. It was Matthews' first fight and the first time in NHL history that two 60-goal players had ever fought each other. Matthews had five shots, five hits and two blocks in the win, and he now has five points, including four helpers, over three postseason games.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Two helpers in Game 1 home loss
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Matthews had two assists -- one on the power play -- in Tuesday's 7-3 Game 1 loss to the Lightning
Matthews remarkably finished the game with a plus-1 rating, but before you absolve him of blame for this blowout loss at home, consider that Matthews also played 4:54 on a Toronto penalty kill that gave up four goals. The first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft has 17 goals and 18 assists through 40 playoff games, but he has yet to win a series in his career, and Matthews will need to play better for Toronto to finally get over the hump for the first time since 2004.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Back at it
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Matthews (rest) is expected to draw back into the lineup for Thursday's regular-season finale against the Rangers, David Alter of Sports Illustrated reports.
Matthews was rested against the Lightning on Tuesday, but he'll jump back into the lineup for Thursday's regular-season closer against New York. The 25-year-old pivot has racked up 40 goals and 85 points through 73 contests this season.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Sitting Tuesday
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Matthews (rest) won't play Tuesday versus Tampa Bay, David Alter of Sports Illustrated reports.
Matthews will get to take a breather after scoring his 40th goal of the season in Monday's 2-1 overtime win over Florida. He has amassed 85 points, 324 shots on goal, 91 blocked shots and 78 hits in 73 contests this campaign.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Reaches 40 goals
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Matthews scored his 40th goal of the season in Monday's 2-1 overtime win over the Panthers.
He opened the scoring late in the second period by deflecting home a Mitchell Marner shot from the blue line. While Matthews hasn't been able to replicate last season's incredible 60-goal pace, he's now reached 40 in four straight seasons and for the fifth time in his career. The 25-year-old could hit another milestone before the end of the regular season as well, as his next tally will be the 300th of his career.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: First four-point game this season
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Matthews scored a goal and added three assists in a 7-1 win over Montreal on Saturday.
On his goal, Matthews got past Jake Evans at the top of the left face-off circle and shot high glove from the hash marks at 13:51 of the third. Matthews has 39 goals and 84 points in 72 games. This was his first four-point game since April 4, 2022. Matthews is rounding into elite offensive form at the right time, with the postseason about 10 days away.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Extends point streak with goal
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Matthews scored his 37th goal on five shots in Wednesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Panthers.
Matthews gave the Maple Leafs a third-period lead with his tally, but they squandered that advantage late in regulation before falling in overtime. The goal stretched Matthews' point streak to seven games. He has six goals, five assists and 41 shots on goal during the streak.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Collects two power-play assists
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Matthews registered two power-play assists in Toronto's 3-2 victory over the Predators on Sunday.
It was Matthews' third consecutive multi-point game and his fourth in the span of five contests. Although he's likely to fall well below his 2021-22 finish of 60 goals and 106 points, he's nevertheless produced at a high level this season with 36 goals and 77 points in 66 appearances. One category in which Matthews might be able to set a career high is power-play points. He's up to 25 in 2022-23, which is just four away from his personal best.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Scores twice in loss
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Matthews scored two goals on 15 shots in the Maple Leafs' 5-3 loss to the Hurricanes on Saturday.
Matthews continued his hot play, scoring twice while firing 15 shots on goal at Pyotr Kochetkov. This performance extends Matthews' point streak to five games, and he has eight points in that span. On the season, Matthews has 36 goals and 75 points in 65 games.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Four-game, six-point streak
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Matthews scored twice, including the game winner, in a 6-2 victory over Florida on Thursday.
Matthews opened the scoring early in the first when he took a pass from Mitch Marner and wired a rocket from above the left face-off circle past Sergei Bobrovsky. He made it 3-1 in the second when he took a pass behind the net, skated out in front and lasered a puck past Bob's glove. Matthews is on a four-game, six-point streak (three goals, three assists), and he has points in 10 of his last 12 games (eight goals, eight assists).
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Likes his apples
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Matthews set up two goals Saturday in a 5-4 shootout win over Ottawa.
Both apples came on beautiful feeds to Calle Jarnkrok. The first was a one-timer from the slot side of the right circle, and the second set up a breakaway. Matthews also scored early in the shootout, but his goal was matched, and the sudden-death round went nine-rounds before it was settled.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Grabs three more points
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Matthews logged a goal and two assists in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Sabres.
Matthews broke a scoreless tie early in the second period, poking a rebound past Craig Anderson. He'd add an assist on Calle Jarnkrok's tally later in the frame before setting up William Nylander in the third. Matthews now has points in three straight games and 10 (five goals, five assists) in his last seven contests. The 25-year-old center is up to 31 goals and 36 assists through 59 games this season.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Nets two points
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Matthews scored a goal and an assist on eight shots, helping the Maple Leafs to a 7-4 victory over the Oilers on Saturday.
Matthews scored a power-play goal in the third period to extend the Maple Leafs' lead to 6-3. He also assisted on John Tavares' first goal. This performance gives Matthews goals in back-to-back games, with three points in that span. On the season, Matthews has 30 goals and 64 points in 58 games.
