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A hat trick of hat tricks?
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Auston Matthews would make some NHL history if he pots three (or more) for a third straight game on Monday at Scotiabank Arena against the Chicago Blackhawks.
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Even during the free-scoring era after the league’s inception — when goalies had skinny gear and were discouraged from going down to stop pucks — no one had three consecutive hat tricks at any stage of the season.
Even with scoring up decades later in the expansion years of the 1970s and ’80s — a long-held belief is that’s partly because goalies didn’t train physically and mentally, as they do now, and were collectively smaller in stature — back-to-back tricks never happened.
But a night after another thunderous home-ice ovation, when his sixth goal in two nights helped put away the Minnesota Wild, the Maple Leafs superstar wasn’t talking through his hat about the certainty of another.
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“Not really, just taking it one game at a time,” he said Sunday morning after a quick team practice to stay sharp against Chicago.
“We’re focused on tomorrow’s game. We have to clean up some stuff that maybe hasn’t been our best (nine goals against), make those adjustments, then go out there and play.”
Matthews was just as happy to chat about his defensive game, how he wanted to atone for letting Ryan Hartman sneak behind him for a tip-in to open the scoring. Matthews and linemates Mitch Marner and Tyler Bertuzzi weren’t on for another goal against.
“You never like to be out there for those (missed coverage assignments),” Matthews said. “I felt a little bit of responsibility on that play just trying to front that puck and missing it. You always want to try and get that back.”
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We’d call three goals on five shots suitable retribution, while a total of six in 13 makes him the NHL’s shooting percentage leader with 10 shots or more at 46.3%.
He has already had nine tricks in his career and has become the fifth NHLer to net three or more goals in two games to start a season.
Leafs teammates were not shy about discussing Matthews’ feats.
“Whoever is selling hats, their stock is going up for sure,” said winger Ryan Reaves. “I’m sure people aren’t happy about losing them (in retrospect), but good to see them flying out there on the ice, two games in a row.
“When you’re on a heater like that, it’s hard not to talk about it. He’s doing something special here.”
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Captain John Tavares is just as impressed with Matthews’ defensive game. Four of Toronto’s 10 take-aways against Minnesota, which is one the league’s stingiest teams, were credited to him.
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“It’s not just the goal-scoring, his ability to finish plays, it’s how he wins battles,” Tavares said. “His puck protection and the way he is able to manoeuvre his body and control the puck, I’m not sure if people talk about it a lot. But we recognize it in here.
“It’s something that’s really hard to do, which he makes look easy. He sees and understands the game so well and is able to move in space and time and recognize the situation.
“All of those things are in sync and he’s off to a tremendous start.”
Coach Sheldon Keefe’s new assistant is Guy Boucher, who was the headmaster in Ottawa when Matthews burst into the NHL in 2016 with a four-goal game on the road. Boucher is now running Toronto’s power play with Matthews as a featured member and Keefe’s staff has brought up that game with Boucher as a dig.
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“Guy actually reminded us that his team won that game (5-4),” said Keefe.
T.O.’s HOCKEY HISTORY FILLED TO BRIM
There is a little chapeau kismet on Matthews’ side should he get into goal gear on Monday versus Chicago.
It was in Toronto where the term hat trick was first affixed to a hockey feat of three or more goals in a game — with the Blackhawks in town.
Winger Alex Kaleta of the Hawks came into Sammy Taft’s hat shop on Spadina Ave. in January 1946 looking for a new lid.
Admiring a Fedora on display, he lamented to Taft he was short of cash to buy it. Taft offered it for free if he scored three goals, thinking of the promotional value, but Kaleta went one better with four in a 6-5 loss.
It was referred to as a hat trick on the radio after the game and Taft’s store did well with many celebrity customers, including Leafs owner Harold Ballard. Kaleta, according to Chicago writer Bob Verdi, kept the famous hat for about 10 years and bequeathed it to younger brother Arthur, who lost it in a move.
lhornby@postmedia.com
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