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Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews entered the final game of the regular season with 69 goals, one shy of hitting the elusive 70-goal mark, not reached since the 1992-93 season.
But Matthews was held without a goal as the Leafs fell 6-4 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night. While the loss didn't impact playoff seeding for either team, Matthews missing out on 70 goals was the big storyline.
Fans immediately took to social media to react to Matthews concluding his historic campaign with 69 goals, tying Mario Lemieux's mark from 1995-96.
Although he came up just short of 70, fans praised Matthews' incredible goal-scoring prowess.
"All time legend in the making," one fan tweeted.
Others expressed disappointment that Matthews failed to top Lemieux and become the first 70-goal scorer in nearly 30 years.
Another fan commented:
"No 70? Lol"
Here are some fan reactions:
"The last person to do that was Mario Lemieux in 1995-96,,,,," one fan wrote on X.
"Nice. Not bad for a guy who can't even grow a playoff beard. AustonMatthews NHL RegularSeasonLegend." another fan wrote on X.
"Nice, Auston Matthews really scored as many goals as the year he was born! Can't wait to see what he does in the playoffs." a user wrote on X.
"Nice! Auston Matthews just casually scores 69 goals in a regular season, no big deal. Just your typical year for him." a fan commented.
"But still nothing beat #Teemu in his rookie year..76 I think." one fan wrote.
"Not that legendary." another fan wrote.
"One words for Auston Matthews???." a user wrote on X.
Matthews will claim his first Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer while leading Toronto to another playoff berth.
Auston Matthews’s Maple Leafs fell 6-4 to the Lightning
Auston Matthews’s 70th goal was denied on all seven of his first-period shots by Lightning rookie goalie Matt Tomkins, who finished with 35 saves, including 12 on Matthews.
While Matthews' pursuit of history defined the storyline entering the game, it was Tampa's Nikita Kucherov who made history on the night.
Kucherov recorded his 100th assist of the season, becoming only the fifth player in NHL history to reach the century mark. The Lightning also got goals from Kucherov, Brayden Point, Nicholas Paul, Anthony Duclair, and Tanner Jeannot in the offensive shootout.
Ryan Reaves, TJ Brodie, Pontus Holmberg, and John Tavares scored for the Maple Leafs, while goalie Martin Jones finished with 26 saves in the losing effort.
Despite the loss, both teams will begin the Stanley Cup Playoffs this weekend against Atlantic Division rivals. The Maple Leafs will face the Boston Bruins, while the Lightning take on the Florida Panthers.
