ALL GAS NO BREAKS - AM34

Mario Russo

The seventh of April will now - and forever after - be circled in blue ink on the calendars of each and every Torontonian, marking the day the legend of Leafs land put the hockey world on pause.

After all the heartbreak, amongst all the animosity and through every peak and valley in his career, Auston Matthews played his 400th career game. The biggest accolade of his career thus far…

Now that I lost the casual Leaf fans that are incapable of finishing a sentence without the numbers five and one being mentioned, let's get into the real reason why we tuned into a midweek hockey game in the state of Texas.

Just shy of the forty minute mark in this Thursday night affair, number 34 lit the lamp for the 55th time this season, shattering former Leaf legend Rick Vaive’s franchise goal record of 54 set in 1982.

The Arizona native would score his highly anticipated goal on his 10th shot of the contest in typical Auston Matthews fashion; on the powerplay and via a slapper from the faceoff dot. When it comes to the Leafs and their players, every so often it’s great to know that some things don't change with this team. Other times, not so much. But hey, unlike the first historic night in his career, the Leafs sniffed out the overtime win following a performance of the ages from AM34.

Aside from the historic dagger pulling the Leafs forward even further ahead in the current Rocket Richard race, many Leafs fans would argue the goal held an even greater meaning; one that consolidated the name on the front with the name on the back.

I’m talking about 104 years of rich blue and white history and where Auston Matthews ranks amongst the all-time greats. Like many of the league’s best, the game flows through the Leafs superstar, not the other way around.

Now I haven't seen any of the former Leafs legends play in their prime, but what I can say about Matthews is that his highest gear towers over the rest of the pack and is something that has continuously evolved into what is now a regular occurrence for the former first overall pick.

Is he a cup away? Probably not considering the majority of these widely considered ‘Leafs Legends’ haven't come close to attaining the league's most prestigious prize. A dominant postseason? It would put him over the top both in the hearts and minds of Leafs nation and certainly wouldn't hurt his chances. But as of right now, the things this guy does on the ice and more so on a nightly basis is proving to be more than enough to put him on top. Like a dog on a bone he doesnt stop and tonight’s historic performance in Dallas was no different.

He netted the overtime winner too.