Maple Leafs' Matthews scores US-born rookie record 39th goal
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored his 39th goal of the season to set the record for most by an American-born rookie.
Matthews broke the mark by scoring 5:01 into the first period to put Toronto up 2-0 over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.
The player from Scottsdale, Arizona, scored in his 78th game to surpass the record set by Neal Broten, who scored 38 goals in 73 games for the Minnesota North Stars in 1981-82.
The goal also was Matthews' 67th point of the season, and broke the franchise rookie record set by Peter Ihnacak in 1982-83.
The milestone game for the 19-year-old Matthews took place in the same arena in which the Maple Leafs selected him with the No. 1 pick in the draft in June.
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