At 58 goals on the season, Auston Matthews has been on an absolute tear. So much so that he has scored 51 goals in his last 50 games. He is the first player to score 50 in a 50-game span since Mario Lemieux in 95/96, but as it happens every time a Leaf player does something great, the Leaf haters try to discredit it.
Since scoring 51 in his last 50, every Leaf hater under the sun has come out of the woodwork saying "it doesn't count cause it wasn't in the team's first 50 games" or something along those lines. In theory, they are somewhat correct as the only official 50 in 50's that the league records are those that happen in the first 50 games of the season.
The last official 50 in 50 was Brett Hull in 91/92, however there have been many instances of unofficial 50 in 50's that have been received as great accomplishments rather than them being fraudulent. So I ask; why shouldn't Matthews be celebrated in the same way that Mario Lemieux, Teemu Selanne, Cam Neely and Alexander Mogilny were?
What does it matter if it happens at the start of the season or at any other point? Scoring 50 goals in 50 games is a phenomenal accomplishment regardless the time of the season. It's kind of funny how everyone complains that the Leafs are always talked about, but then they go on social media and do nothing but try to disprove and discredit Leafs accomplishments simply because it's the Leafs. Love us or hate us, we're always on your mind.
