Auston Matthews and Mark Giordano (Mark Blinch, Getty Images)
Auston Matthews' unforgettable night helped the Leafs clinch their sixth consecutive playoff berth with a tight win over the Montreal Canadiens.
Here are my 5 takeaways as Matthews' 57th and 58th goals helped Toronto hold off their rivals.
1. 51 in 50
We are truly witnessing the greatest Leaf of all-time. Auston Matthews became the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games since Mario Lemieux almost 27 years ago with a tidy finish after Jake Allen's heroic stop resulted in a juicy rebound. Just in case that wasn't enough, he rifled home a wrist shot 36 seconds later for his 51st goal in his last 50.
Though blatant Leafs haters will point to the fact that it wasn't in his team's first 50 games, any unbiased hockey fan can admit that scoring 50 goals in any particular stretch of 50 games as long as it occurs over one single season should be part of the record book. By this logic, any winning streak that didn't start from Game 1 doesn't count. It's just a silly argument. Auston Matthews scored 50 goals in 50 games, even if his streak didn't start from the opening game of the season.
As I remarked during the game, we've reached the point where Auston Matthews simply scores every game. I have started to get into the Tim Hortons' player picks where you have to pick one player to score. Literally every time that Auston Matthews' name is an option, I pick him without hesitation. He needs to score 12 goals in his last 10 games to reach 70 and it's a testament to his skill that this isn't out of the question.
60 goals should no longer be the goal. Only 10 players in NHL history have ever scored above the 0.87 goals per game mark that Matthews currently holds. The last player to exceed 0.87 goals per game was Lemieux, a year before Matthews was born.
Connor McDavid is so unreal, but I've officially reached the point where I think that Matthews is the top player in the league. He has the Hart Trophy locked up. The Rocket Richard Trophy basically has his name engraved on it already. He could be a Selke Trophy nominee. Unfortunately, to win the trophy that matters, he's going to need to carry this pace into the postseason. I think he can, which makes this Leafs team the best one that I've ever watched.
2. Muzzin and Brodie Working Well
After a brief hiatus from defense on Tuesday, the Leafs reverted to their stable ways against Dallas and continued to work hard in their own end against the Habs. There were a couple of minor mistakes, particularly by David Kampf, but for the most part, the defense gave Erik Kallgren a clear view on every shot that he faced. This is what we've been asking for all season.
The Leafs are talented enough to control most of the play in the offensive zone, which explains why they've outshot their opponents more times than almost any team in the NHL. However, the issue with Toronto this year has been that every time their opponents get into their zone, they seem to be conceding goals. A lot of these goals seem to be from deflections or screens. That is why GM Kyle Dubas was on the lookout for a body-mover at the deadline. He didn't get that, but the return of Jake Muzzin helps.
He was a good partner for TJ Brodie. I think Sheldon Keefe will keep this duo together. Further back on Toronto's depth chart, Giordano had a really great game. Toronto's defense is suddenly a strong suit. If Toronto's goaltending can hold up, they can be a real playoff team. But then again, it is Toronto, so they'll probably still lose in the first round.
3. Kallgren Deputizes Admirably for Campbell
It was a very comfortable game for Erik Kallgren in goal. He faced some breakaway opportunities, had to deal with a 6-v-4 power play and shut down some Josh Anderson transition opportunities.
A .923 SV% isn't too shabby and it's exactly what we've been looking for out of the Swedish freshman. He has been a fairly capable deputy and he has really made only 1 blatant mistake in his brief Leafs career.
With Petr Mrazek sidelined, the Leafs will need Kallgren to play well. I think that Keefe should split the starts 60-40 in favour of Campbell from here on out, simply because if Campbell plays any more than 6 games, he will be worn out before the postseason begins.
Not only do the Leafs need to keep Campbell well-rested, they also need to keep pace in the race for home-ice advantage. If Kallgren can continue to play like he did against the Canadiens, this is a reasonable expectation.
4. Playoffs Around the Corner
It was an inevitability since the Islanders' struggles, but the Leafs have finally gotten an x next to their team name. For the sixth consecutive year, Toronto is headed to the postseason. They haven't missed the playoffs in the Auston Matthews era, but they also haven't gotten past the first round.
Playoffs were the lowest expectation for the Leafs this season. Now it's time to show that they can finally expel their demons. The last stretch will be time to prepare for the playoffs and to hold off the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning for second in the division.
They have a pivotal three game stretch upcoming in which they play Florida, Boston and Tampa Bay in succession. If they can get 3 or 4 points out of that stretch, they should seal home-ice advantage. With the Leafs, they need every little advantage to assure that they can get a good chance to advance.
5. Caufield Continues his Ascent
Nothing exemplifies the coaching improvement from Dominique Ducharme to Martin St. Louis quite like the emergence of Cole Caufield. He has 17 goals and 12 assists for 29 points in 27 games since St. Louis was hired. In 30 games under Dom Ducharme, Caufield had 2 goals and 7 assists for 9 points. Pretty big difference, wouldn't you say?
He's playing his very best hockey and is showing exactly what he can do at his peak. His size was expected to lower his ceiling, but Caufield is so skilled that it makes no difference. Caufield is a true star that is harnessing his game under a new coach. For Caufield's development alone, the St. Louis hire has been worth it.
ALL STATS COURTESY OF MONEYPUCK AND NATURAL STAT TRICK
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