Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe says Auston Matthews’ pursuit of 70 goals is a major distraction.
The Leafs superstar recorded his 69th goal of the season on April 13, as Matthews looks to become the first 70-goal scorer in the NHL since Alexander Moginly and Teemu Selanne accomplished the feat during the 1992-93 season.
With Toronto having two games left this season, Matthews has a chance to score 70 goals, but Keefe admits it has become a major distraction for the team.
“Obviously, that’s a major distraction. Doesn’t help us, what we’re trying to accomplish on the ice. But it’s exciting. I get it. Especially when he gets to 69, you can see it. It’s growing. Anticipating. And now you’re feeding it. I’m feeding it. I want it to happen. But I want it for the fans,” Keefe said… “I had a dozen 10-year-olds running up to me asking how many Auston’s going to get. Everybody’s excited about that. It’s definitely a thing. I get the hype around it.”
With the focus on the playoffs for Toronto, Keefe says he hasn’t made a decision on whether or not he will rest Matthews, or let him play in search of getting his 70th goal of the season.
“We’ll make the decision that we think is best for the team. We got guys dropping right now. We’re going to have to dress 18 skaters. So, we got some guys that will not be available for us. So that, in itself, is going to be a factor. And the salary cap is what it is. We can only have so many guys. There are lots of things to sort out here in the next little bit,” Keefe added.
Matthews has played in 79 games this season and has 69 goals along with 38 assists for 107 points.
Matthews Enjoying The Support In Race For 70 Goals
As the pursuit of 70 goals continues, Matthews has been getting plenty of support from Maple Leafs fans.
During home games for Toronto, fans have signs cheering on Matthews as he looks to make history, which he says has been enjoyable for him.
“It’s really nice, to have the support that we have in the city and the fan base and all that stuff. It means a lot. It’s obviously really cool and really special,” Matthews said.
But, if Matthews is going to record 70 goals it will have to be on the road, as Toronto plays the Florida Panthers on April 16 and the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 17.
Maple Leafs Third Place In The Atlantic
Toronto will enter the playoffs as the third seed in the Atlantic Division.
The Maple Leafs are 40-24-10 which is good for 102 points, which is six back of the Florida Panthers, and six points up on the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top Wild Card spot.
If the playoffs started now, Toronto would be playing Florida in the first round, as the Panthers are one point back of the Boston Bruins for the first spot. Should the Maple Leafs play Florida in the opening round, it would be a rematch of last year’s second round, which saw the Panthers eliminate Toronto in five games.
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Maple Leafs Coach Gives Honest Take On Auston Matthews’ Race For 70 Goals