Matthews is the first player in his career to score 50 goals. (0:31)
Matthews scored his 50th goal of the season and the Maple Leafs beat the Jets.
Matthews scored Toronto's sixth goal of the game into an empty net. He became the first Maple Leafs player to score 50 goals in a season since Dave Andreychuk did it in 1993-94.
Matthews said that he didn't think it would be an empty-netter goal, but that he would take it.
Fortunately that last one did.
Matthews became the fifth Maple Leafs player to reach the half-century goal mark.
Matthews said it was special to be able to do it in front of the fans.
Matthews was twice robbed of 50 goals. He found the back of the net 47 times in 70 games in the season that ended in March, and 41 times in 52 games in the season that ended in June.
Matthews missed three games because of injury and two because of suspension, while Draisaitl has played in every game of the season.
Matthews is the fastest player to reach 50 goals in a season since 1995-96, when Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Alexander Mogilny and Peter Bondra did it.
The report was contributed to by the Associated Press.
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