Toronto Maple Leafs: Can Auston Matthews Score 50 Goals this Season?

With 21 goals in 39 games, Auston Matthews is on pace to score 44 goals and based on his recent pace of 15 goals in the last 20 games, it is very possible he gets 50.

There is so much hype around Leafs Nation at the moment and if you live in Toronto, you definitely feel the hype for the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with the bone chilling cold weather. The Centennial Classic held on January 1st was incredible and the weather was perfect for outdoor hockey.

In case you missed it, the Leafs won in overtime, after the Detroit Red Wings made an incredible comeback from 4-1 down in the third to force the extra frame. The game-winner was netted by rookie sensation Auston Matthews, for his 20th goal of the season. You couldn’t fictionalize a better story line with how the classic went and ended.

The Leafs are now in the playoff hunt and look to be a favorite to finish in the top three in the Atlantic division. They are currently just two points back of the Ottawa Senators with a game in hand for the third spot.

Toronto is also just five points back of the Boston Bruins with five games in hand for the second spot. Based on points per game, they are ahead of the Bruins – the Leafs have 44 points in 39 games vs the Bruins 49 in 44 games, or 1.13 points per game vs 1.11 points per game.

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Along with the incredible goaltending we’ve seen from Frederik Andersen, a big reason Toronto is in the position they are in right now is rookie of the year candidate (leading candidate in my opinion), Matthews.

AM34 is demonstrating greatness with his 21 goals after 39 games. Even more impressive is the fact that following his four-goal debut performance, he struggled to find the back of the net.

However, despite getting opportunities and scoring just six goals after 19 games, Matthews still has the third-most goals in the NHL. The long run odds appear to be playing out now, since his opportunities are finding the back of the net more frequently.

Yes, Matthews’ sample size is just 39 games, so we’ll take the “long run odds” with a grain of salt. He’s taken 140 shots for a scoring rate of 15 percent, while the league average is around 10 percent.

However, Alexander Ovechkin is at 12.2 percent and Sidney Crosby is at 22.4 percent, so who’s to say 15 percent isn’t sustainable over an 82 game season for a rookie phenom? He has nearly a point a game, with 35, and in his last 20 games he’s notched 15 goals.

It’s unlikely Matthews continues to score goals at such an incredible rate, but it’s not impossible. If you’ve actually watched a game or two this season, you’d likely agree he is dominant and a force whenever he touches the ice.

The 19-year old holds the puck like it’s on a string and is strong around the boards, winning most puck battles. He can shoot low (which appears to be his preference) and he can shoot high.

He has great peripheral vision and can pass with the best of them. Just check out the goal by Uncle Leo from a Matthews setup from behind the net.

With Matthews’ 21 goals in 39 games, he is on pace to score 44 goals and based on his recent pace from the last 20 games, it is very possible he gets 50.