Matthews: 'Extremely humbling' to tie Vaive at 54 goals

Auston Matthews moved into tie atop the Toronto Maple Leafs record book for goals in a season with his hat trick against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night.

Matthews tied Rick Vaive with his 54th goal of the season in the third period of Monday's 6-2 win, less than a week after becoming just the fourth Maple Leaf to top the 50-goal mark.

"It's humbling, it means a lot, just to be in the same sentence as a guy like Rick Vaive and these other guys that have come before us," Matthews said. "They have just kind of represented what it means to be a Toronto Maple Leaf. It means a lot and it's extremely humbling."

Matthews, who will have an opportunity to pass Vaive and claim the franchise record outright on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers, reached the 50-goal mark for the first time this season. Vaive hit the mark three times, with his career-high 54 coming during the 1981-82 season.

Matthews' standout performance on Monday allowed the Maple Leafs to gain separation from the Lightning in the standings, taking a two-point lead with the two teams even in games played. Toronto remained second in the Atlantic Division with the win, while Tampa Bay fell into the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference as they were jumped by the Boston Bruins.

Auston Matthews notched a hat trick against the Lightning on Monday to hit the 54-goal mark, tying Rick Vaive for the most in a single season in Maple Leafs history. Mark Masters joins Jay Onrait to discuss Matthews' big night.

"This is a big game for us, obviously," Matthews said of the win. "They're a really good team, they know how to win, so it was an important game for us this point of the season. All these points count and really matter. I think it's just a really complete