A four-goal NHL debut is fantastic, but taken in isolation, it’s more a matter for trivia or curiosity than it is an indicator of future greatness. Taken in the context of what we already know about Auston Matthews, however, it becomes the latest sign that the Toronto Maple Leafs pivot is going to leave his mark on the game of hockey.
Matthews' four goals against the Ottawa Senators in the Maple Leafs' 5-4 loss Wednesday night was an NHL record, eclipsing a mark first set in 1943 by Alex Smart of the Montreal Canadiens. We don’t know how long Matthews will own that place in the record books, but given that Smart went over 70 years without being surpassed, it’s a distinction the 2016 No. 1 overall pick may well hold for the rest of his life.
Smart's career illustrates an interesting point, though: All by itself, a productive debut doesn’t mean a lot.
Smart played the only eight games of his NHL career with Montreal during World War II, with his first game’s production representing 60 percent of his career output. He spent most of his career in th ...
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Article written by Jonathan Willis
Historic 4-Goal Debut the Latest Sign Auston Matthews Is a Future Superstar
October 12th, 2016 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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