Goal-scoring race between Matthews, Pastrnak debated by NHL.com

Auston Matthews and David Pastrnak steal the spotlight as the Toronto Maple Leafs face off against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SNO, TVAS) in a nationally televised showdown.

Matthews, playing as a center, leads the Maple Leafs (5-3-1) in goals, boasting 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in nine games. Pastrnak, a forward, takes the helm for the Bruins (8-0-1) with eight goals and 14 points.

Toronto aims to catch up, currently lagging six points behind Boston, the leading team in the Atlantic Division, who haven’t lost in regulation throughout their first nine games.

Although other stars grace the ice and the stakes are high early in the season, the main narrative revolves around Matthews and Pastrnak, both elite goal-scorers.

Last season, Pastrnak emerged victorious, netting 61 goals in 82 games, securing second place in the NHL, only behind Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers (64). Matthews, on the other hand, tallied 40 goals in 74 games.

Nevertheless, historically, the competition between these two esteemed players is much closer.

Since entering the League in 2016-17, after being selected as the No. 1 pick by the Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Draft, Matthews has accumulated 306 goals in 490 regular-season games, the highest among all players during that period. Pastrnak, chosen at No. 25 by the Bruins in the 2014 NHL Draft, has scored 284 goals in 504 regular-season games, placing fifth behind Matthews, Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals (299), McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl of the Oilers (289 each).

So, the question remains: Which player, Matthews or Pastrnak, will find the back of the net more this season? We sought the opinions of six NHL.com writers.

Matthews: Pastrnak takes the initial lead with eight goals in nine games, whereas Matthews has seven goals in the same number of games. However, I’m placing my bet on Matthews. Since entering the NHL in 2016-17, Matthews has the highest goals per game average (0.62) among players who have played more than one game. Ovechkin follows closely behind (0.58), trailed by Pastrnak (0.56). Since 2020-21, the gap has widened further. Matthews maintains his lead in goals per game (0.71) among players who have played more than one game. McDavid comes in second (0.64), followed by Draisaitl (0.63). Pastrnak stands at (0.61). If they play a similar number of games, Matthews is likely to outscore Pastrnak. — Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist