Adedokun Waliyu 
Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews has one more regular-season game to crack the 70-goal mark as the blue and white face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning, though it’s still undecided if he’ll play.
Matthews is stuck at 69 goals after failing to get on the score sheet in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers, snapping an eight-game goal streak in the process. He finished with five shots in just over 19 minutes of ice time.
After the loss, head coach Sheldon Keefe said the team has yet to decide whether Matthews will play or rest before the Leafs’ first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins, slated to commence this weekend.
“We’ll talk about it,” Keefe said. “We have 12 healthy forwards.”
Matthews has three goals and four points in three games against the Lightning this season. He scored Toronto’s lone goal in a 4-1 loss against Tampa Bay on April 3.
Should Matthews play with a shot at history?
Should Matthews play, the 26-year-old star would have a shot at joining elite company and becoming the ninth player to reach the 70-goal club. The other players to do it include Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Phil Esposito, Jari Kurri, Mario Lemieux, Bernie Nicholls, Alexander Mogilny, and Teemu Selanne.
Mogilny and Selanne were the last players to do it during the 1992-93 season. Mogilny finished with 76 goals in 77 games with the Buffalo Sabres, while Selanne also scored 76 goals in 84 games as a rookie with the Winnipeg Jets.
Gretzky scored over 70 goals on four different occasions, including a 92-goal season with the Edmonton Oilers in 1981-82. Hull also scored over 70 goals three times, including a career-high 86 goals with the St. Louis Blues in 1990-91.
Matthews would become the first player in Maple Leafs history to score 70 goals. He passed Rick Vaive (previously 54) for the most goals scored in a season by a Maple Leaf in 2021-22, finishing with 60 goals in 73 games.
With their first-round playoff series set, several Maple Leafs could rest on Wednesday.
The team is already without Bobby McMann, Max Domi, and Calle Jarnkrok, who are all nursing various injuries. McMann’s status is up in the air, while Jarnkrok isn’t expected to be available in time for Game 1. Keefe noted that Domi’s chances of playing are better.
