‘Lucky’ Matthews nets four-hundredth objective, Leafs roll

Auston Matthews scored into an empty internet for the four-hundredth objective of his profession within the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 4-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday evening.

The victory clinched Toronto’s first Atlantic Division title and featured Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner reaching a profession excessive with 100 factors by scoring with 4:21 left in regulation.

The Maple Leafs secured the Japanese Convention’s second seed and can open the playoffs towards their Ontario provincial rival, the Ottawa Senators.

Matthews, an American and the No. 1 choose within the 2016 draft, is the sixth-fastest participant to succeed in 400 objectives, in keeping with ESPN Analysis, doing so in his 628th profession recreation. That is six video games sooner than Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s new all-time objectives chief.

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“It means rather a lot. … Ultimately, it is a workforce accomplishment, I feel. It is a workforce sport. There’s rather a lot that goes into it,” Matthews mentioned. “And simply lucky that it is come off my stick a pair instances.”

That is solely the second time in franchise historical past {that a} Maple Leafs participant has scored 400 objectives with the membership, as Matthews joins Mats Sundin, who completed his Toronto tenure with 420. Sooner or later early subsequent season, well being allowing, Matthews ought to tie John LeClair (406) at No. 13 in profession objectives for American-born gamers.

Anthony Stolarz, who received a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers final season as a backup, closed his first season in Toronto’s internet with a shutout, enhancing to 4-0-1 towards the Sabres. The 31-year-old’s earlier two journeys to Buffalo led to shutouts — a 45-save outing with Florida final season and a 25-save outing with Anaheim in December 2021.

Toronto set a single-season franchise file with 25 highway wins and claimed solely its third division title total. Toronto beforehand received the all-Canada North Division in the course of the COVID-19-altered 2021 season and was additionally Northeast Division champs in 2000.

“I really feel actually assured on this group. We put in lots of work over the season,” Matthews mentioned. “Incomes the division was an enormous step for us, however we simply need to proceed to push ahead.”

Coach Craig Berube, additionally in his first season with the Maple Leafs, concurred along with his captain.

“The buy-in is all the pieces, and so they’ve purchased into it,” Berube mentioned of his workforce. “It begins with our management group, and it trickles down. That is the underside line.”

Berube received a Stanley Cup teaching the St. Louis Blues in 2019, and his postseason expertise is without doubt one of the prime causes he was employed by a membership that has struggled to advance previous Spherical 1.

“You are all the time attempting to work in your identification,” he mentioned. “And that hasn’t stopped all through the season.”

The Related Press contributed to this report.