Whenever Auston Matthews breaks Mats Sundin’s franchise record of 420 career goals — he’s 16 from matching it heading into Thursday’s game against the Rangers — it’s likely the Swede will be in the neighbourhood.
The 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony is Nov. 10 and honoured member Sundin has a vested interest when former linemate Alex Mogilny is among those inducted and will attend.
Sundin already is scheduled to appear in the GTA at the Sport Card Expo for an autograph session a few days earlier, too.
While he’s a 54-year-old devoted family man, Sundin mentioned last year he’d like to be there in person in whatever rink he’s eclipsed mark falls, though such things can never be accurately scripted.
In this condensed Olympic year schedule, the Leafs play 11 times up to the Hall of Fame Game itself — at home on Saturday, Nov. 8 versus Boston, again the next day at Scotiabank Arena against Carolina, then head to Boston for a game on Remembrance Day.
While two of his goals so far have been empty-netters, It could be contended Matthews has three, after Matthew Knies fed him that slick 2-on-1 pass for Tuesday’s winner. Nashville goalie Justus Annunen was lured far out of his crease to allow Matthews the tap-in.
As for the team’s regular-season franchise freebie record, that now jointly belongs to Matthews and Mitch Marner with 16 empty-netters each. Sundin had nine as a Leaf.
In a related chase, John Tavares is now two back of Darryl Sittler in career NHL points 1,121-1,119, the two former Toronto captains at 65th and 66th, respectively, on the league list.
BLOCK OUT THE PAIN
Little things still add up to big wins as the Leafs’ NHL-best nine-year streak of making the playoffs will attest.
As of Wednesday, while still a small sample size, the Leafs were tied for fifth in league blocked shots with 63, the same ranking out of 32 clubs they held through all 82 contests last season.
But they’re well aware there’s a price measured in pain. A few players have hobbled to the bench this season, the most damaging episode a deep lower-leg bruise or possible crack that landed centre Scott Laughton on injured reserve late in pre-season with no projected return date.
Defenceman Brandon Carlo got a stinger against Detroit and needed help to get off the ice while Knies had some anxious moments on the bench, doubled over in pain on Tuesday.
“My leg went numb, but after I was able to stand, I was able to move it around,” Carlo said of his mishap. “It can be a softer shot or a harder shot, but if it catches you in the right area … that one, my leg was tingly, but it was OK within five minutes.“
Fleet players with quick sticks like to pressure the opposing defence or high forwards, especially on the power play, which is why the Leafs turned Matthews and the departed Marner into one of their effective penalty-killer tandems. They also have experimented with William Nylander early in the season with an eye to generating short-handed chances.
But with one of the NHL’s biggest and heaviest teams, the Leafs tend to settle into positional defence, showing trust in their goalies and allowing more shots from the perimeter, hence the high block count.
“That’s a big component,” the 6-foot-5 Carlo said. “I personally love blocking shots. It’s great to get in those lanes and not allow those pucks to come to the net. You never know where it’s going to bounce after that, but we definitely do our best to get in those lanes.”
The Leafs also have kept up their hit parade, reaching 100 through for games, tied for eighth in the league. It’s contagious, too, as rookie Easton Cowan now has five hits in his first two NHL games.
NO RANGE AT HOME
The “most famous arena in the world” has yet to cheer a Rangers goal after three games.
New York has been blanked in every start at Madison Square Garden despite 90 total shots, a bizarre NHL first. The Rangers’ two wins came on the road, thus the Leafs shouldn’t get too overconfident on Thursday at Scotiabank Arena.
Edmonton’s 2-0 decision was the latest 0-fer above Penn Station, but in earlier losses to Pittsburgh and Washington, there was little to fault in the Rangers’ effort.
“Let’s not blow this out of proportion,” captain J.T. Miller urged reporters after Tuesday’s result. “There’s a lot of good. We’re getting a lot of chances. This is a unique start to the season, in the sense of there have been games where we feel like we’ve really thrown a lot at the other team and we’re not getting rewarded.”
Leafs-Ranger games have tended to be on the high side in goals, home and away.
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