Auston Matthews has been close to 50 goals before.
Agonizingly close.
The COVID-19 pandemic had other ideas, but the Maple Leafs star centre is poised once again to become Toronto’s first player to reach the milestone since Dave Andreychuk scored 53 in 1993-94.
“It’s hard not to,” Matthews, who has an NHL-leading 43 goals in 54 games, said when asked if he’s thinking about the half-century mark. “But I just focus on each game and just try to stay present every day, not get too ahead of myself.
“But obviously I want to produce and I want to score.”
He’s being doing plenty of that.
Matthews found the back of the net 47 times in 70 games in 2019-20, only to have the coronavirus force the NHL to abruptly shutter operations that March and reconvene in the summer for an expanded post-season tournament.
The 2020-21 schedule was just 56 games, but Matthews still put up 41 goals in his 52 contests.
All told, he was on pace to score 55 in 2019-20 and 62 — that number would have been the most in the NHL since Alex Ovechkin’s 65 in 2007-08 — had the following season been the normal 82 games.
Matthews has taken things to another level, even by his lofty standards, in 2021-22 with those 43 goals, including six in his last three outings, after missing a trio of contests to start the schedule following summer wrist surgery.
“Best player in the league,” said Leafs winger Michael Bunting, whose linemate is on pace to score 63 this season. “Some people might say it’s biased, but in my opinion, he’s the best player by far. He’s so good defensively, so good offensively.
“He’s the all-around package.”
Barring injury or something else unforeseen, Matthews will join Andreychuk, Rick Vaive (three times) and Gary Leeman as the only Leafs to score 50.
“We’re at the point where it’s hard to be surprised by what Auston does,” Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said.
“He’s a special player.”
Matthews, who registered his third hat trick of the season Tuesday, has also found a special connection on Toronto’s top line.
While his bond with star winger Mitch Marner is well-documented, the addition of Bunting has been a revelation since the free-agent forward rounded out the trio in late November.
Matthews has 36 goals and 60 points in 38 games together, while Bunting, a 26-year-old rookie who’s assumed Zach Hyman’s old grinding role and added his own twist at a fraction of the price, has 38 points over the same span, including 16 of his 20 goals.
Marner missed some action with a shoulder injury and a period spent in COVID-19 protocol, but since returning to the lineup Jan. 15 has an NHL-best 41 points in 22 games, four up on Matthews.
The winger joked prior to Wednesday’s 6-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken — a game in which the unit combined for seven points — that Matthews and Bunting, who have become fast friends, are like a “divorced couple” with how they playfully chirp back and forth on the bench and behind the scenes.
“I don’t think we fight like a divorced couple,” Bunting said with a grin post-game. “Maybe an old married couple … we have a great relationship.
“He’s a great guy off the ice, very humble.”
Matthews is also a Hart Trophy favourite as NHL MVP and sat just four points behind Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid for top spot in the overall scoring race prior to Wednesday’s action.
And a six-goal outburst since Saturday has Matthews five clear of the nearest challengers as he looks for a second straight Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy.
So when will he hit 50?
“This pace, who knows?” Bunting said. “Could be any time.”
GOALS GALORE
Toronto and Seattle weren’t the only teams filling the net Tuesday. The NHL’s 11-game slate saw a combined 85 goals scored for an average of 7.7 per contest.
Arizona led the way with a 9-2 thrashing of Detroit, Chicago thumped Anaheim 8-3, and Winnipeg topped Tampa Bay 7-4.
FANS TAKING THEIR TIME
The Leafs have failed to attract 18,000 fans in any of their three home games since provincial COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed at the start of the month.
Toronto has averaged 17,401 spectators at the 18,819-seat Scotiabank Arena, but aren’t the only Canadian team seeing fans take their time.
Calgary has averaged crowds of 16,387 in three home dates.