Matthews seizes moment for 8th consecutive 30-goal season with Maple Leafs

ANAHEIM -- Auston Matthews figured if he just kept shooting the puck at Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal, one was bound to find the back of the net.

"Try to just think about, 'The next one's going in, the next one's going in,'" the Toronto Maple Leafs forward said.

That moment finally arrived at 2:12 of overtime Wednesday, giving Matthews his NHL-leading 30th goal of the season and the Maple Leafs a 2-1 victory at Honda Center.

The goal came on Matthews' 13th shot on goal and gave a Toronto (19-10-7) team that had stumbled into the New Year by going 1-4-1 back-to-back wins to open 2024, following a 3-0 victory at the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.

"He was bound to get one," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. "It was, obviously, a big one for us."

It was a big one for Matthews too. The No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, playing his 35th game of 2023-24, became the 10th player in NHL history with at least eight straight 30-goal seasons from the start of his NHL career. He's also the second in as many seasons and seventh different one in the past 30 years to reach 30 goals in 35 games or fewer. He needed the fifth-fewest games in Maple Leafs history to reach the mark in a season, behind Babe Dye (19 games in 1920-21, 23 in 1924-25 and 24 in 1921-22) and Frank Mahovlich (33 in 1960-61).

The Scottsdale, Arizona, native required the third-fewest games by a United States-born player in NHL history to reach the 30-goal mark behind Kevin Stevens (30 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992-93) and Pat LaFontaine (31 for the Buffalo Sabres in 1991-92). He tied Maple Leafs legend Darryl Sittler for the longest stretch of consecutive 30-goal seasons (eight from 1973-74 to 1980-81) and became the sixth U.S.-born player with at least eight such seasons during any point of their NHL career with Joe Mullen (10), Keith Tkachuk (nine), Mike Modano (nine), LaFontaine (nine) and Tony Amonte (eight).

Matthews said he spent the entire game trying to figure out where Dostal seemed vulnerable, but never found any soft spots. The Anaheim goalie made 55 saves before allowing the game-winner.

"He played a [heck of] game," Matthews said. "You've got to tip your hat to him, obviously, with the amount of chances and shots that we had generated."

Dostal had not played since a 3-2 loss to the visiting Seattle Kraken on Dec. 23, but the 23-year-old was sharp from the outset, making 18 saves in a scoreless first period, including a breakaway save on William Nylander at 17:48.

"I'm just trying to make sure I try to stop every single puck," Dostal said. "That's my job. I don't really worry about how many shots it is."

Dostal made another 21 saves in the third, when the Maple Leafs tied the score 1-1 on a power-play goal by John Tavares at 14:17.

"Especially over 82 (games), you're going to see a hot goaltender," Tavares said. "Obviously seeing it very, very well."

The hot goaltender finally met his match against the hottest goal-scorer in the NHL.

Mitchell Marner skated into the high slot during overtime and slid a pass to Matthews as he drifted away from the net at the bottom of the circle. Matthews sent a one-timer over the left arm of the outstretched Dostal and into the net for his 16th goal in his past 14 games.

"He can score from anywhere, so good to see him get it," Tavares said. "Incredible start to the season for him and the way he's leading the way."