Leafs' Auston Matthews Breaks American Rookie Record With 39th Goal [VIDEO]
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Looks like the Bruins will have to deal with Auston Matthews for a long time. There's little chance that the division rival Maple Leafs will let the 19-year-old go any time soon, now that he's already established himself as a star in his sensational rookie season.
Matthews scored his 39th goal on Monday night against the Buffalo Sabres, tying the Bruins' Brad Marchand for second in the NHL. You can watch his snipe in the above video.
More notably, Matthews passed former NHL-er Neal Broten to break the goal-scoring record for U.S.-born rookies. Broten scored 38 goals for the Minnesota North Stars back in 1981-82 as a 22-year-old.
A more apt comparison for Matthews, a native of Scottsdale, Arizona, is fellow American-born stud Patrick Kane. After being drafted first overall in 2007, Kane scored 21 goals as a rookie in 2007-08 as a 19-year-old and has developed into arguably the most dynamic offensive threat in the NHL.
Incredibly, Matthews at 19 is already one of the most dangerous snipers in the league. There's a chance that the Bruins will draw Matthews and the Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs if they make it in (more on that here).
It's unfortunate (for America's sake) that the NHL won't be participating in the 2018 Olympics and the league's future in the event is up in the air, because Matthews would have made a heck of an addition to Team U.S.A..
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
