Auston Matthews scored his 66th goal of the season as the Toronto Maine Leafs defeated the New Jersey Devils.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Auston Matthews knows his teammates and most people in Toronto want him to score 70 goals this season and become just the ninth player in NHL history to accomplish the feat.

So he tries not to think too much about it.

Matthews scored his league-leading 66th goal, extended his scoring streak to six games and ended the Devils' playoff hopes as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat New Jersey 5-2 on Tuesday night.

“I think the process is the same every night,” Matthews, 26, said. “When you think about it too much and you want it too much, it's not going to go your way, so I'm trying to look at it the same way and make sure we're doing the right thing, personally and as a team. things night and night.'

After a slow start, the Maple Leafs opened things up when Mark Giordano and Tyler Bertuzzi scored in a nine-second span late in the second period to give Toronto a 3-2 win.

Nicholas Robertson also scored and Joseph Wall made 18 saves for Toronto, which now has 101 points with four games remaining in the regular season.

“We've got to come together as a team with four games left, stay consistent, get ready for the playoffs and have a playoff game and play the last four games like playoff hockey,” said Bertuzzi, whose late free goal made it his 21st of the season. Th.

Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer scored for New Jersey, and Jake Allen made 32 saves.

“I thought they played hard,” Devils interim coach Travis Green said of the team that set the franchise record for points last season. “We've been in a lot of games and haven't found a way to win. I felt we deserved a better fate.”

Matthews' 66th shot from the rim beat Allen at 7:33 of the final period.

His 66 goals are the most in a season by any active player. Washington's Alex Ovechkin held the previous mark among active players entering a season with 65 points in 2007-08.

“I think when you watch him play, the amount of pucks he puts on the net, the shots he makes, the caliber of them, is very special,” said Mercer, who was making his 20th appearance in the game. “Anybody in the league is doing it very special and it hasn't happened in many years.”

After Mercer gave the Devils a 2-1 lead early in the second period, Allen kept New Jersey in the lead until Bertuzzi tipped in a great pass from Max Domi. Giordano scored on a penalty shot seconds later.

70 GOALS IN ONE SEASON

Eight players have scored 70 goals in a regular season, led by Wayne Gretzky, who set the league record with 92 in 1981-82. Others to do so are Brett Hull (three times), Mario Lemieux (twice), Alexander Mogilny, Phil Esposito, Timu Selanna, Jarry Currie and Bernie Nicholls.

NEXT UP

Maple Leafs: Host the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

Devils: Visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

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