Matthews, Maple Leafs ready to face 'incredible' Ovechkin, Capitals

ARLINGTON, Va. -- No player has scored more than Auston Matthews’ 305 goals since the Toronto Maple Leafs center began his NHL career in 2016-17.

Still, Matthews hasn’t considered what he’d need to do to someday catch Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin, who is second in NHL history with 822 goals, 72 behind Wayne Gretzky’s League record of 894, heading into a showdown with Matthews and the Maple Leafs at Capital One Arena (6 pm. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, TSN4) on Tuesday. The Maple Leafs-Capitals game leads off a tripleheader on ESPN, followed by the Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks at 8:30 p.m. ET and the Philadelphia Flyers at the Vegas Golden Knights at 11 p.m ET.

“I don’t know,” Matthews said Monday. “It’s not really something I think about. It’s definitely important to acknowledge what he’s been able to do and where he’s at right now in closing in on that milestone. It’s pretty amazing just the consistency year after year. I can’t say enough good things. He’s been an incredible player and one of my favorites to watch ever since he’s been in the League.

“But I’m not really thinking about that right now.”

Although Ovechkin has yet to score a goal through four games this season, matching the longest drought to begin a season of his career from 2012-13, the 38-year-old has been remarkably consistent throughout his 19 NHL seasons. Ovechkin scored at least 30 goals in 17 of his first 18 NHL seasons, including 42 goals last season -- two more than Matthews -- to break the NHL record for 40-goal seasons he shared with Gretzky with his 13th.

Ovechkin is tied with Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most 50-goal seasons with nine.

“The consistency, being able to stay healthy, all that stuff, it’s just impressive to say the least,” Matthews said.

Ovechkin is impressed by Matthews as well. In fact, Ovechkin believes the 26-year-old has the skill to finish his career among the NHL’s all-time leaders in goals and, potentially, surpass his total.

“Yeah, for sure,” said Ovechkin, whose 297 goals since the start of the 2016-17 season are second in the NHL behind Matthews. “He’s a top goal-scorer right now. He creates chances. He has a tremendous shot. So, yeah.”

It is understandable that Matthews isn’t thinking about chasing down Ovechkin this early in his career. He’s five games into his eighth NHL season and trails Ovechkin by 517 goals. But their goal production through their first seven seasons is comparable.

Ovechkin had 339 goals in 553 regular-season game for an average of 0.61 goals per game. Matthews had 299 goals in 481 games for an average of 0.62 goals per game.

Although Ovechkin scored 40 more goals than Matthews during those seven seasons, Matthews could gain ground this season. Ovechkin’s eighth NHL season in 2012-13 was shortened to 48 games by an owners’ lockout, so though he led the League in goals, he added only 32 to his total.

Matthews never has scored fewer than 34 goals in a season and has averaged 47 goals during the past four seasons. That includes a League-leading 60 goals in 2021-22 to become the first player to score 60 in a season since Steven Stamkos in 2011-12.

If Matthews scores 47 goals this season, his eight-season total of 346 goals would be 25 behind Ovechkin’s total of 371.

Matthews started the season hot, scoring three goals in each of Toronto’s first two games to become the fifth player in NHL history to get hat tricks in the first two games of the season and first since Ovechkin in 2017-18. Although Matthews didn’t score in the past three games, he had 17 shots on goal, so it’s not like he hasn’t been getting chances.

“Probably the biggest compliment I could pay him is if you go through his 60 goals from [2021-22] and last year however many he had, he scores in so many different ways,” said Capitals coach Spencer Carbery, who was an assistant with the Maple Leafs the previous two seasons. “So from a pre-scout standpoint, it’s really difficult to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to show you 20 different ways that Auston is going to be ready to score. Be ready for all of them.’ That’s the challenge … the uniqueness in his ability to score off the rush, down low, off the forecheck, all these different ways make him an extremely special player.”

The difficult part for Matthews if he’s going to have a chance to catch Ovechkin will be maintaining his production through the second half of his career. Following the shortened 2012-13 season, Ovechkin scored at least 50 goals in each of the next three seasons and has hit 50 goals five times in the past 10 seasons, including 50 in 2021-22.

“That’s probably the biggest challenge because before 30, he’s probably going to keep putting up 50 and even 60 (goals per season),” Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov said of Matthews. “But the biggest challenge is probably after you’re 33 years old, when you get to that age, if you can still be able to put these numbers. And nobody knows what the hockey is going to be in 10 years.”

Ovechkin’s final goal total remains to be seen. The seemingly annual questions about whether age is finally catching up with him have returned with his slow start to this season.

But after going back-to-back games without a shot on goal for the first time in his career against the Calgary Flames (3-2 shootout win) and Ottawa Senators (6-1 loss), Ovechkin had five shots on goal and eight shot attempts in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday and appeared on the verge of breaking through.

“He was getting a ton of opportunities, getting in more of those spots that you traditionally see him in,” Carbery said. “Now, they haven’t gone in for him, but it’s only a matter of time. He keeps getting himself in those spots and they’ll go in for him.”

Ovechkin, who has a knack for scoring against Toronto with 41 goals in 56 regular-season games, is most concerned about helping Washington get a win after it started 1-2-1. But he knows that scoring goals is part of that for him.

The Capitals’ five goals are their fewest through their first four games in their history.

“I have to do my job,” Ovechkin said. “I have to do my best thing to do.”

Matthews knows, few, if any, players have done it better than Ovechkin, and is looking forward to facing him again Tuesday.

“Obviously, him and Sid (Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins) have come in and they’ve been the face of the League for so long.” Matthews said. “They’ve been really good ambassadors just kind of leading the way and making it possible for us to come up. … They still continue to play a high level despite their age and how long they’ve been in the League.

“Just the consistency factor, it’s a lot of fun to see. Those are always games you get up for and get excited for.”