Maple Leafs star Matthews soars towards rarefied air with 70-goal quest

Matthews takes a shot during second-period NHL hockey action against the Detroit Red Wings, in Toronto, Saturday, April 13, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

"It's a rare and special occurrence, so it has to obviously be considered among the best seasons in NHL history for scoring goals, that's for sure," author and hockey historian Andrew Podnieks said of Matthews' campaign. Podnieks pointed to the different ways players such as Esposito, Gretzky and Hull scored compared to Matthews. With Esposito, it was his knack for scoring in the slot, with Gretzky it was his craftiness and dekes, and Hull was a force with the one-timer.

While acknowledging the sentiment that today's players are more skilled, shoot harder and skate faster than those of the past, Podnieks points to the difference in coaching. "So I think there's definitely something to be said for scoring 70. In this era, is it more difficult than 30 years ago? You can argue that it is because it hasn't been done in 30 years."

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