How Auston Matthews Scored 69 Goals

Matthews is a one-timer machine.

Whether it's on the power play or at even strength, Matthews has a knack for finding open ice behind defenders before unloading the puck.

This is one area where playing alongside an elite playmaker like Mitch Marner was especially effective. Marner’s ability to control the pace of play and draw defenders toward him could open space elsewhere on the ice.

Matthews’ goal-scoring IQ allowed him to recognize those moments and slip into open areas before defenders could recover.

Once Matthews gets open, the shot itself happens extremely quickly.

Cross-ice passes are particularly dangerous because they force the goalie to move laterally across the crease. The goalie has to adjust both his angle and his momentum while Matthews is preparing to shoot.

That combination of movement before the shot and efficiency during the shot is what makes the play so difficult to defend.

Matthews isn't simply standing in one location waiting for a one-timer. He's reading the defensive structure, finding space, preparing his body before the puck arrives, and attacking before the goalie and defenders have time to reset.

How to Practice It

Remember, you don't always need a massive slap-shot windup. A half windup or sweeping one-timer can be just as effective — and often more useful with the speed of the modern game.

Off-Ice Version

If you have shooting tiles and a pass rebounder, you can practice the same concept off the ice.

Set up on one side of your shooting area and fire a hard pass into the rebounder. As the puck comes back, load through your hips and immediately one-time it toward the net.

Don't just focus on how hard you can shoot. Focus on making the movement fluid:

As you improve, vary your distance, shooting angle, and where you place the initial pass.

There's another part of Matthews' one-timer ability that can't be developed by shooting pucks alone.

Watch defenders away from the puck.

During practices and games, pay attention to defenders who become locked onto the puck carrier. When a defender starts puck-watching, there may be an opportunity to separate from coverage and move into a scoring area.

You can practice this even when you're not the player receiving the puck.

Make mental notes during practices and games about when defenders lose track of players away from the puck. When watching your own film, look for moments where you could have moved into open space instead of remaining stationary.

The more comfortable you become recognizing these situations, the more frequently you'll find yourself open when scoring opportunities develop.

Auston Matthews is notorious for his toe-drag release, and for good reason.

Matthews is extremely good at changing his release point immediately before shooting.

This can disrupt the angle the goalie has established while also allowing Matthews to use opposing defenders as screens.

You'll often see Matthews begin with the puck outside his body before pulling it backward and inward toward his feet. He loads the shot during this movement and releases almost immediately afterward.

The movement doesn't have to be dramatic. Even a relatively small drag can significantly change where the puck is being released from.

Matthews can also use this against defenders.

If a defender is directly between Matthews and the net, Matthews can manipulate the puck before shooting through or around the defender's body.

Instead of viewing the defender purely as an obstacle, he can effectively turn that defender into a screen against their own goalie.

The goalie now has to deal with both a changing release point and reduced visibility.

How to Practice It

Don't make every repetition identical. In a game, the defender's stick and body position will constantly change.

Despite having a bigger frame, Matthews is extremely deceptive around the net.

One of the biggest reasons is his ability to manipulate goalies in tight.

Matthews frequently uses quick stickhandles, pump fakes, and changes of direction to force the goalie to commit before he does.

For example, he might show the puck toward his backhand, forcing the goalie to move with him, before quickly bringing it back to his forehand and attacking against the goalie's momentum.

He also has the awareness to recognize small openings created during a goalie's movement.

If a goalie moves laterally while in the butterfly, there can be a brief moment where space opens between the pads.

Matthews can recognize that opening and slip the puck through the five-hole rather than automatically trying to move around the goalie.

Matthews can also use his frame to establish positioning around the crease.

By gaining inside positioning on defenders attempting to box him out, he can get his stick into areas where he's more likely to create a deflection, collect a loose puck, or quickly finish a rebound.

His success around the net is therefore a combination of hands, deception, positioning, and reading the goalie.

Drills to Practice This

If you have access to a goalie, ask them to stay for a few minutes after practice and work specifically on in-tight situations.

Instead of mindlessly repeating the same move, read what the goalie gives you.

If they commit early, attack the open side. If they move laterally and briefly open the five-hole, attack that space.

That's how the drill becomes hockey-IQ training rather than simply stickhandling practice.

Auston Matthews' 69-goal season wasn't the result of one unstoppable shot.

It was the result of having multiple scoring tools and knowing when to use each one.

His one-timer allows him to attack goalies before they can reset. His ability to change his release point makes an already elite shot even harder to read. His deception around the crease allows him to manipulate goalies instead of simply trying to overpower them.

But there is another common thread connecting all three:

He finds open ice before the pass arrives. He changes the puck's position before releasing it. He forces goalies to move before attacking the space they leave behind.

That's something every player can work on.

You may not have Auston Matthews' shot, but you can train the habits and reads that help create better scoring opportunities.

Use these drills to become more comfortable finding space, manipulating your release point, reacting around the net, and understanding why certain scoring techniques work.

Because becoming a better goal scorer isn't only about shooting harder.

It's about becoming harder to read.