Max Domi was preparing for a faceoff in Washington when he saw Alex Ovechkin and thought that he will be the best goal-scorer of all time.
Then he saw Auston Matthews and realized that his Toronto teammate could also be in that discussion.
This happened during another game in which Matthews scored two goals, bringing his total for the season to 58, the most in the NHL. Scoring 70 goals would mean getting a goal in every game left, which is possible, but he is on track for 67, the most in almost 30 years.
Matthews said that although he wants to achieve personal goals, the team's performance is more important. He will keep pushing himself to be great and help the team win.
Ovechkin holds the record for most goals in a season in the salary cap era which started in 2005, with 65 in 2007-08. This was after rule changes that increased power plays and showcased talented players like Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.
Matthews, Connor McDavid of Edmonton, and Nathan MacKinnon of Colorado have taken over from Ovechkin and Crosby as the leading players. Matthews and McDavid have won the Hart Trophy as MVP in the past, and MacKinnon is a top candidate for it this year.
Ovechkin, who has 848 goals and is 47 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record, wants Matthews to surpass his single-season mark.
Ovechkin said he is cheering for Matthews and hopes he achieves the record. He thinks Matthews is a special player and it's fun to watch him.
After his team's loss to Toronto, Washington coach Spencer Carbery admitted they had no answer for Matthews during the game.
Matthews has scored 60 goals in a season before and, given the Maple Leafs’ offensive prowess, it would not be foolish to rule out a run that gets him to 70 before the playoffs start.
Teammate Bobby McMann mentioned that Matthews' off-puck play and support make it easy to play with him, and that's why he's scoring so many goals.
There's already talk about whether Matthews could surpass Ovechkin as the all-time leading goal-scorer, considering he is actually outpacing Ovechkin at this point in their careers.
Max Domi said it's special for players like him to share the ice with generational talents like Ovechkin and potentially Matthews.