Auston Matthews likes scoring goals. He's also really good at it.
The Maple Leafs star has been exactly as advertised when he was selected No. 1 overall in 2018. Matthews has flourished into a dominant sniper, capable of terrorizing goaltenders from any distance and any angle.
The two-time Rocket Richard recipient is in the midst of another terrific goal-scoring campaign. After hitting the 60-goal mark two years ago, Matthews has done it again.
Not only has the Toronto sensation scored 60 goals for the second time in his career, but he also has a chance of hitting 70 given his current pace.
As long as Alex Ovechkin remains in the league, the Capitals star owns the title of greatest goal scorer currently in the NHL. When you're on your way to eventually passing Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record, you've earned that distinction. However, once the Great 8 elects to hang up the skates, Matthews will surely take over that title.
The Sporting News is tracking Matthews' goal for the 2023-24 season and his hunt to reach 70.
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Auston Matthews stats 2023-24
Matthews is producing at another high level this season. The sniper is on pace to set career highs in goals and potentially points.
Here's a look at his stats for the 2023-24 season.
| Games | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- | PPG | PPP | GWG | S% |
| 79 | 69 | 38 | 107 | +35 | 18 | 28 | 8 | 19.9 |
How many goals does Auston Matthews have?
Matthews is up to 69 goals in 79 games during the 2023-24 season through April 13.
That means the Toronto center is averaging 0.873 goals per game this season, an elite clip for any player.
In his career, Matthews has scored 368 goals in 560 games.
How many hat tricks does Auston Matthews have?
Matthews is up to 13 hat tricks so far in his NHL career.
The Leafs star entered the 2023-24 season with seven games where he scored three or more goals. He has nearly doubled that total this campaign alone, recording six hat tricks this season.
Most goals in an NHL season
The most goals scored in a single season in NHL history is a record that belongs to none other than The Great One himself — Wayne Gretzky.
The four-time Stanley Cup champion is first place on the single-season scoring list with his 92 goals in the 1981-82 season. He's the only player to hit at least 90 goals in a single season.
Gretzky also owns the record for the second-most tallies in a season, potting 87 in the 1983-83 campaign.
| Rank | Player | Team | Season | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1981-82 | 92 |
| No. 2 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1983-84 | 87 |
| No. 3 | Brett Hull | St. Louis Blues | 1990-91 | 86 |
| No. 4 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1988-89 | 85 |
| No. 5 | Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | 1970-71 | 76 |
| Alexander Mogilny | Buffalo Sabres | 1992-93 | 76 | |
| Teemu Selanne | Winnipeg Jets | 1992-93 | 76 |
Last 70-goal season in the NHL
It's been over 30 years now since a player lit the lamp 70 times in one season.
The last time the NHL had a 70-goal scorer was during the 1992-93 campaign, and there were actually two. Both Teemu Selanne of the Jets and Alexander Mogilny of the Sabres hit the 70-goal threshold, as each potted 76 tucks that year.
No player has come close to 70 since then. The closest was Alex Ovechkin in the 2007-08 season when he recorded 65 goals.
NHL goals leaders 2023-2024
Matthews is currently leading the goals race in the NHL for the 2023-24 season. If he finishes the season in first, it will be his third time winning the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for the most goals in the league.
Here are the goal leaders as of April 13.
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
| No. 1 | Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs | 69 |
| No. 2 | Sam Reinhart | Florida Panthers | 54 |
| No. 3 | Zach Hyman | Edmonton Oilers | 53 |
| No. 4 | Nathan MacKinnon | Colorado Avalanche | 51 |
| No. 5 | David Pastrnak | Boston Bruins | 47 |
| Artemi Panarin | New York Rangers | 47 | |
| No. 7 | Filip Forsberg | Nashville Predators | 46 |
| No. 8 | Brayden Point | Tampa Bay Lightning | 45 |
| No. 9 | Nikita Kucherov | Tampa Bay Lightning | 43 |
| No. 10 | Kirill Kaprizov | Minnesota Wild | 42 |
| Jonathan Marchessault | Vegas Golden Knights | 42 |
