The Leafs' Auston Matthews has one more shot at reaching the 70-goal mark

Auston Matthews has another chance to achieve a milestone that hasn't been achieved in nearly three decades.

The Maple Leafs sharpshooter's goal in Tuesday night's 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers left him at 69 for the season.

Matthews and Toronto travel to the Tampa Bay Lightning to close out the regular season on Wednesday night. The 26-year-old center is looking to become the first player to score 70 goals in a single campaign since Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny combined in 1992-93.

Matthews, who had 10 goals in his previous eight games before the loss to the Panthers, could become the ninth player in NHL history to score 70 goals in a season, joining the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull. and Mario Lemieux.

Toronto's loss to Florida, along with Ottawa's 3-1 win over Boston, means the Leafs will play the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. The Panthers and Lightning square off in another Atlantic Division matchup.

Tampa star Nikita Kucherov will also be looking for a milestone Wednesday night. The winger has 99 assists and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid can become the fifth player in NHL history to reach 100 after Monday's 9-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.

This Canadian Press report was first published on April 17, 2024