Can AM win the Rocket with his hot start..

[tapi]

He is still on pace for 50 in 50. He should be able to close the gap on Laine&Co and with the Rocket easily if he stays healthy, keeping my fingers crossed so that we can see him get the award.

 

[TDotMassive]

shooting 30% is not a good. he's gonna finish shooting liek 15.

His release is so good he can sustain 20+%

 

[Deedog99]

Who's AM?

 

[StarvinArvyn33]

Why not?

He's probably the most complete player in the league.

Netrual fan sayin matthews>mcdavid

Matthews will finish his career with more Cups than McDavid.
#INTANGIBLES

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

He's more likely to win a Cup in TO than McDavid is in Edmonton, given the TO team is more complete, has better coaching and better management.
Whether Matthews can win the Rocket is still up for debate, but he should yard sale his way to 40+ quite easily.
Ovechkin or Laine will probably have a word on that trophy, though.

 

[Yackiberg8]

If you look at the stats from the beginning of last season, which is a large sample, Matthews isn't even close to the top 5, let alone #2.

McDavid 108GP 143PTS
Kucherov 109GP 142PTS
MacKinnon 102GP 140PTS
Matthews 76GP 86PTS

If you're thinking "yah he's missed a lot of games but his P/GP puts him in the top 5" it doesn't. He's 10th with 1.13P/GP.

MacKinnon is the highest with 1.37 and there are 5 players over 1.2P/GP.

In fact, Matthews is closer to 15th in P/GP than he is to the top 6.

He has also played the least amount of games, meaning everyone above him (except Marchand) has kept their pace up for 25-30 games longer than Matthews.

Also, in the 5 games before his injury, he had 0g2a. He has 9PTS in his last 8GP. 5G4A

He's put up 7 points in the 3 games since returning, and leaf fans are acting like he's doing something special. In reality, the 2.33P/GP he's had since returning, has been done multiple times by multiple players this year, and players like Kucherov have kept up a 2.5P/GP for 10 games. Rantanen has 22pts over 12 games. Laine had 11G over 4 games.

There's nothing that points towards Matthews being a top 3 player in the league.

Highest GPG since he came into the league, yup.
Highest GPG the last 2 years, yup.
Highest GPG this year, yup.
Highest PPG this year, yup.

15 goals in 14 games this year. PPG of 1.64, definitely nothing special.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Who's AM?

Like Negan on The Walking Dead, we are all AM.

 

[MattySnipes]

And who are you to make fun of someone’s looks? Isn’t this a board about hockey, and not childish schoolyard jabs

I agree. I see 'nostrils' jab everytime, all over the internet. Pathetic. Is that what it's come to? Can't diss his game so you attack physical appearance? Most children are even smarter I'd bet.

 

[Placid Perspicuity]

I agree. I see 'nostrils' jab everytime, all over the internet. Pathetic. Is that what it's come to? Can't diss his game so you attack physical appearance? Most children are even smarter I'd bet.

Anyone who wants to make fun of the way people look should be required to post a photo of their own face first.

 

[MattySnipes]

Anyone who wants to make fun of the way people look should be required to post a photo of their own face first.

Right? And I mean, the kid is a stud. He's a good looking dude and I'm a guy. So his nostrils are a little big (dad), so what?

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

I agree. I see 'nostrils' jab everytime, all over the internet. Pathetic. Is that what it's come to? Can't diss his game so you attack physical appearance? Most children are even smarter I'd bet.

Come on man, they're pretty epic nostrils. I know a guy that once shoved a twenty sided die up his nostril that said ''God damn, those are some big nostrils.''

Seriouly though, I really know a guy that once shoved a twenty sided die up his nostril.

 

[tapi]

Highest GPG since he came into the league, yup.
Highest GPG the last 2 years, yup.
Highest GPG this year, yup.
Highest PPG this year, yup.

15 goals in 14 games this year. PPG of 1.64, definitely nothing special.

Indeed, had not he not been injured, he would probably have 1 Hart and 1 Rocket already. Only God knows what he can do when he stays healthy. In the light of the stats, he is by far the best player in the league.

 

[42]

AM has a slightly higher chance of winning the Rocket than I do of winning Mr. Universe.

 

[crowi]

Laine this, Laine that (in a Matthews thread) from the first reply by a leaf fan no less. "He must be livin' RENT FREE in your heads" - eh leaf fans? Typical bs.

 

[King In The North]

If their powerplay sustains, good chance he does. The way he catches passes and releases is so effortless.

 

[AvsFan29]

Highest GPG since he came into the league, yup.
Highest GPG the last 2 years, yup.
Highest GPG this year, yup.
Highest PPG this year, yup.

15 goals in 14 games this year. PPG of 1.64, definitely nothing special.

If you think 1.64 ppg is amazing, you should hear about this Rantanen guy. He's at 1.64 and has played twice as many games. MacKinnon and Kucherov are also a couple guys you should look at. It will blow your mind.

 

[42]

If you think 1.64 ppg is amazing, you should hear about this Rantanen guy. He's at 1.64 and has posted twice as many games. MacKinnon and Kucherov are also a couple guys you should look at. It will blow your mind.

Do these guys play for the Leafs?

 

[sharks9]

Seeing as shooting 30% for the entire season is impossible, I'm gonna say no. His shooting percentage will likely drop to at least 20%, and even that's tough to sustain

 

[AvsFan29]

Do these guys play for the Leafs?

No, they aren't lucky enough to play on the best team to take the ice

 

[Flipwon]

The guy's missed almost half the season and is still 13th in goals, why would someone knowing that say he has no chance of winning? I get it, 'leafs fans are annoying wah wah' but taking that out of it of course he has a chance. Like seriously, go look at the top goal leaders in the nhl and look at the GP column. Compare that with the other columns.. Hes playing very well right now..

What happens if some of these guys ahead have an injury, or run into a huge cold streak? It's so easy to take the field in a broad question like this but of course he could win it given a crazy set of circumstances (like Laine's 5 goal game? One game like that would have him tied for 2nd...)

Anyone saying anything different than "yes he has a chance to win it" is either a leaf hater, a poor hockey fan or just an idiot.
/rant

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Who's AM?

PM's brother.

 

[RageQuit77]

When the thread title reads: "Can AM win the Rocket with his hot start..." it's not actually off-topic to talk about other top scoring guys of the season currently, including, but not limited to OV and Laine. They are thread relevant here. Nobody should get offended by that fact. How we can talk about and evaluate Auston's chances without any kind context?

Besides, what comes to so called 'AM vs PL' threads, on average this one is very tidy, and it's tone is good. Most of guys see that what Matthews has managed to do this season in the high art of goal scoring is incredible regardless of his injury (and also because of it).

Tall task, but if he somehow manage score himself within few goals from the lead position in Rocket race... So, please, let's keep it civil.

And this humble wish comes from hardcore Laine-fan.

 

[Tralfamadore]

With that shot it's not nearly impossible. It's even likely. He just needs to stay healthy and he'll be in the conversation. Doesn't mean he's the best player in the league though as long as McD and Mack are playing.

 

[JianYang]

I think Alec Martinez has to go on a serious run to do this.

 

[RageQuit77]

Situation in Rocket race now as of Dec. 6th 2018. Between Mathews and Rocket race Top 5 leaders are 7 other guys, but none of them have better scoring pace than AM. Some of guys have double amount (200%) games played, but still Auston is only some 30% behind them in scoring race. Whole Top 5 is within 3GP more or less played. Diagonal line is GPG rate.