Auston Matthews made history in his debut game with the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. Matthews scored four goals against Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson in just two periods of play. More spectacularly, it only took the Leafs rookie six shots and less than 20 minutes to score his four goals. The nineteen-year-old Arizona native even scored his hat trick, third goal, unassisted. It has been a while since a rookie has gotten three or more goals in his debut game. The last time a rookie scored a hat trick in his debut game was 2008 by New York Rangers alternate captain Derek Stepan.
Fans as well as many current and former NHL players took to Twitter in awe of Matthews’ offense-packed debut. Senators center Kyle Turris, who faced Auston on the faceoffs during the game, stated that the young center was going to have a successful future in the league. He added that Matthews was both mentally and physically ready for professional play in the NHL. It is safe to say that after one game, players around the league have taken notice of the young player.
Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs and Matthews, the Leafs still fell to the Senators 5-4 in overtime. The 2016 first round draft pick even took the blame for the team’s overtime loss. Auston Matthews is definitely a rookie to look out for and will be making chances for his team all season long.
