The countdown has begun.

Not to the New Year — not yet — but to Auston Matthews overtaking Mats Sundin to become the top goal scorer in more than 100 years of Toronto Maple Leafs history. Matthews (416) needs only five goals now to pass Sundin (420).

It hasn’t felt like much of a countdown, though, has it? Instead, Matthews’ chase for maybe the most prestigious individual franchise record has felt muted, not even a minor part of the discourse.

There are good reasons for that: The Leafs, and Matthews, have struggled to play up to expectations all season.

If Matthews were having a more typical Matthews season, this would be a much bigger story. In fact, the 28-year-old would already have the record by now. Instead, he is on pace for a merely ordinary 35 goals, or just 0.45 goals per game, which would be the lowest mark of his NHL career.

There is something jarring about the fact Matthews will become the franchise leader during the worst season of his career. This is still special stuff, though, and should be recognized as such.

Matthews should end up catching Sundin with more than 300 fewer games played. Sundin scored his 420 goals as a Leaf in 981 games; it wasn’t until his 13th season with the team that he set the record. Matthews suited up in game No. 662 on Sunday night, in the midst of his 10th season with the Leafs (two of which were abbreviated due to the pandemic). He already ranks first in franchise history with 0.63 goals per game (among those who have played at least 200 games), crushing Sundin’s 0.43 per game.

It would be extra special for the franchise if Matthews, the team captain, could catch and even pass Sundin at home. The Leafs host the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets this week before heading to New York to visit the Islanders on Saturday.

Sundin overtook Darryl Sittler for the franchise record in both goals and points with one shot in an 8-1 blowout win over the Islanders on Oct. 11, 2007.

Sundin’s goals record will end up falling less than 20 years later. It will take a few years longer for Matthews, or perhaps William Nylander, to claim that points record from him: Matthews, sitting fifth with 755 points, is still 232 points shy of Sundin’s 987. (Nylander ranks eighth with 653.)

This was never going to be Ovechkin chasing down Gretzky, but it’s still a pretty big deal in the world of the Leafs.

Eight things I like, don’t like, or find interesting right now

1. Matthews was briefly hobbled by a shot he blocked with his left foot late in the second period of Sunday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Just how prodigious a shot blocker is Matthews? The most prodigious, literally, among forwards since he entered the league.

Top shot-blocking forwards since 16-17

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