Auston Matthews’ stock on Bay St. hits 200 level in goals

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If home is where the hearth is, Auston Matthews has a red goal light over his Bay Street fireplace

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Not only did he score his first of the year in Wednesday night’s 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings, it made him the fourth Leaf in team history to get 200 home goals solely in the Air Canada Centre/Scotiabank Arena era. The others are Darryl Sittler (231), Dave Keon (225) and Mats Sundin (217), Sundin beginning his run when Toronto still played out of Maple Leaf Gardens.

Since being drafted first overall in 2016, Matthews’ No. 34 sweaters have been part of the seat upholstery, from the posh platinums to the nosebleeds in the purples. His routine of trick shots with Mitch Marner to wrap warmup with kids pressed to the glass to watch and maybe snag a puck from him is now game night tradition.

“He might feed off that energy at home, everything is a little more familiar,” noted teammate Bobby McMann.

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Getting his first of the year Wednesday and contributing to the third win in four games was his biggest takeaway. Matthews became the 11th active National Hockey Leaguer to notch 200 home goals and outpaced each of those players by reaching the mark in 279 games, including Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, who needed 321 D.C. contests.

Matthews also moved up to 369 total goals, putting him 20 back of Sittler for second place in franchise history.

SCRATCH-O-RETTY

As much as Max Pacioretty was the feel-good story of training camp, making the team at age 35 in a comeback from torn Achilles tendon surgery, there wasn’t much argument about resting him. He had one goal in three games, looked vintage with the puck at times, and looked slow at others.

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Unlike Sheldon Keefe, coach Craig Berube isn’t big on getting into the full rationale of his lineup calls.

“A decision I made. That’s it,” was his first response to sitting Pacioretty before adding “there’s no message. We have extra players and not everybody can play. He’s been fine when he’s played, but I have to make decisions that are best for the team.”

BLUE BLOODS ON KINGS

The Kings still have a strong Toronto feel to them.

Trevor Moore was their leading goal scorer last year, a Leaf first back in 2018-19 when the Southern Californian replaced another when Matthews was injured. Winger Alex Leferriere was once a Toronto draft choice traded in the package for Jack Campbell and Kyle Clifford, while goalie David Rittich played three games on his way through town in 2021. Rittich didn’t finish the game, pulled after four goals for Pheonix Copley. That was 14 against the Kings in their two Ontario matches versus Toronto and Ottawa.

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Kings’ coach Jim Hiller was on Mike Babcock’s staff in Toronto, and was with Barry Trotz and the Islanders before Trotz and he were both let go when current Leaf assistant Lane Lambert became New York’s head coach. Hiller’s associate is D.J. Smith, a Leaf player and assistant.

HE CAN KOPE

Berube is more familiar than most Leafs with Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar from years coaching against him with St. Louis. Kopitar is coming up on 1,400 NHL games, all with the Kings.

“Just a great two-way player,” Berube praised. “It seems game in and game out, he’s the same. Great defensively, size. Not overly fast, but fast enough. He has the ability to finish and to make plays. He’s been in every key situation for them for years.”

HELPING HANDS

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Anthony Stolarz, Chris Tanev and Nick Robertson all helped serve dinners at Covenant House on Thanksgiving Monday. The residence is the largest agency in Canada serving youth who are homeless, trafficked or at risk.

“It was exciting, first to be able to give back to the community,” new Leaf Stolarz said. “I heard it’s nine or 10 years that the Leafs have been doing that at Covenant House. To be able to help out and spread some holiday joy was a lot of fun.

“A lot of people were asking questions. There were a couple of goalies in the house. I was able to pick their brain, they were able to pick mine.”

LOOSE LEAFS

Until William Nylander’s power play goal, the Leafs hadn’t gone the first four games without a man advantage tally since 1981-82 … Four different Leaf defencemen took minor penalties Wednesday, all but Tanev and Jake McCabe … Stolarz made 24 saves before Alex Turcotte beat him early in the third … McMann was a goal shy of a hat trick, trying to be the first Leaf other than Matthews to get three-goal games in the same calendar year of the past decade … In addition to McCabe engineering a couple of nice assists, he hit Kings’ winger Andre Lee hard enough to pop the gate open in front of the Leaf tunnel … The Garson Community Centre and Arena in Greater Sudbury has been renamed for late Leaf star George Armstrong. A ribbon cutting ceremony with Sudbury native Joe Bowen as emcee takes place Thursday afternoon … Max Domi was being asked before the game how many of his father Tie’s fights he watches. It will be 29 years ago Thursday that Tie’s suspension for eight games was announced by the league for his sucker punch of Ranger Ulf Samuelsson at the Gardens.

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