“Auston Matthews Breaks Record as Fastest US-Born Player to Score 50 Goals in 54 Games”
Auston Matthews notched his 50th and 51st goals of the season in a memorable hometown performance, propelling the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 6-3 victory over the struggling Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday night. Matthews’ historic 50th goal came on a power play just 5:01 into the game, in his 54th appearance of the season, securing…
Auston Matthews notched his 50th and 51st goals of the season in a memorable hometown performance, propelling the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 6-3 victory over the struggling Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday night.
Matthews’ historic 50th goal came on a power play just 5:01 into the game, in his 54th appearance of the season, securing him the title of the fastest U.S.-born player to reach the milestone since Mario Lemieux accomplished the feat in 50 games during the 1995-96 season. Wayne Gretzky still holds the all-time record, achieving his 50th goal in just 39 games for the Edmonton Oilers in 1981-82. Prior to Matthews, the U.S.-born record was shared with Kevin Stevens at 62 games.
Adding to his impressive tally, Matthews capitalized on a rebound in the second period, extending Toronto’s lead to 4-2. The 26-year-old center, hailing from nearby Scottsdale, has been on fire with nine goals in his last four games, amassing a total of 350 goals in his career over 535 games.
Contributing to the Leafs’ victory, William Nylander also found the back of the net twice, further solidifying Toronto’s dominance. Bobby McMann and John Tavares joined the scoring parade, while Ilya Samsonov stood tall in goal, turning away 23 shots.
Despite efforts from Matias Maccelli, Barrett Hayton, and Dylan Guenther, the Coyotes suffered their 11th consecutive defeat, highlighting their ongoing struggles on the ice.
