The Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews likely can't catch up to the NHL's top goal-scorers this year, but his improvements elsewhere on the ice are more important, says Adam Proteau.

Auston Matthews woke up on Dec. 4 with 16 goals to his name. He’d snagged three hat tricks in his first 11 games. He was scoring at an NHL-best 60-goal pace and would finish with 69 — the most since Mario Lemieux three decades earlier.

Auston Matthews scored for the first time since returning from an injury and the Toronto Maple Leafs went on to defeat the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Monday night.

Auston Matthews scored his first goal since returning from injury as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Monday night. John Tavares, Fraser Minten and Matthew Knies, into the empty net,

Toronto Maple Leafs at Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSUN, SNP, SNO, SNE, CBC)

O captain, my captain, our fearful trip is done. Maple Leafs’ captain Auston Matthews returned to the lineup after a nine-game absence due to a secretive upper-body injury, and he didn’t miss a beat.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews returned to the lineup Saturday night after missing nine games due to an upper-body injury.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have survived quite nicely without captain Auston Matthews, who missed nine games with an upper-body injury.

Auston Matthews scored for the first time since returning from an injury and the Toronto Maple Leafs went on to defeat the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Monday night.