Matthews ties Bure at 700 games, and only legends are ahead
Toronto's captain scored his 436th goal in his 700th game in Columbus, sixth-most ever through 700 and the most by anyone who debuted after Bure.
No player who debuted after Pavel Bure has scored more goals through 700 games than Auston Matthews. Not Ovechkin, not anybody, and now he's caught Bure too. Toronto's captain scored his 436th goal in his 700th game Tuesday, tying Bure for sixth on that list, and the five players above him are all in the Hall of Fame.
That's the take: Matthews is the best pure goal scorer of his era by the one measure that strips out longevity, and the list proves it better than any argument could.
The list
The most goals through 700 NHL games:
- Wayne Gretzky, 589
- Mario Lemieux, 580
- Mike Bossy, 542
- Brett Hull, 504
- Jari Kurri, 454
- Auston Matthews and Pavel Bure, 436
Bure debuted in 1991-92, the most recent debut on that list. Ovechkin isn't on it. Neither is anyone else from the cap era.
The goal itself
It was a Matthews goal, which is to say nobody in Columbus was surprised and nobody could stop it. He scored at 3:12 of the second period to make it 3-1 in a 6-2 win, and it held up as the 68th game-winner of his career.
The night had other plots. Kirill Marchenko scored against his old team and got booed for it. "It's fine, I've been ready for that," Marchenko said.
Easton Cowan scored short-handed, the first Leaf 21 or younger to do that since Mitch Marner in 2019. Toronto is 5-4-2 and has won two straight after a three-game skid.
The Ferda number
Matthews has eight goals on 33 shots this season, per NHL data, a 24.2 percent shooting rate. He has scored in seven of his 11 games. Three of the eight came on the power play, and he's playing 21.2 minutes a night.
That shooting rate won't last all season, and it doesn't need to. Only Kirill Kaprizov, with 11, has more goals this season by our count. That's 11 games, so call it a strong start and not a pace.
What's next
Bure finished his career with 437 goals in 702 games. Matthews ties that career total with his next goal and passes it with the one after.
The 700-game list is set now, and Matthews stays tied for sixth on it for good, sitting right behind three of the best snipers who ever lived. The next round number is 450, and our call is he gets there before December. It would take 14 goals in about a month of hockey, and he has eight in 11 games so far.
