It was inevitable that Auston Matthews would continue his ascent up the NHL`s all-time goals list.
The Toronto Maple Leafs captain scored his 400th career goal in the third period against the Buffalo Sabres.
With just over two minutes remaining in the game, the Sabres pulled their goalie, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Matthews seized the opportunity, grabbing a loose puck in the offensive zone and firing it into the empty net to mark his milestone achievement.
This goal places Matthews among hockey`s elite.
The 27-year-old reached 400 goals in just 628 games, making him the sixth-fastest player in NHL history to achieve this feat. The list of players who reached 400 goals faster includes legendary goal scorers such as Wayne Gretzky (436 games), Mike Bossy (506), Mario Lemieux (508), Brett Hull (520), and Jari Kurri (608). Alex Ovechkin, the NHL`s all-time leading goal scorer, took 634 games to reach his 400th goal.
Since entering the NHL in 2016, Matthews has consistently been recognized as a top goal-scorer. His 0.64 goals-per-game pace ranks fifth in NHL history.
Matthews`s production has slightly decreased this season due to injuries, limiting him to 66 games out of Toronto`s 81. He has scored 32 goals and 76 points. Last season, he narrowly missed scoring 70 goals, finishing with 69 goals in 81 games.
