Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews is chasing modern NHL history. He is seeking the first 70-goal season from any player since Teemu Selanne and Alex Mogilny did so in 1992-93. And on Wednesday, Matthews got ever closer to that milestone after scoring his 50th goal against the Arizona Coyotes.

Matthews now has 50 goals through his first 54 games of the year. He is now the fastest American-born player in league history to reach the 50-goal mark in a single campaign, according to Sportsnet Stats. Wildly enough, Matthews broke his own record. The Maple Leafs star shared the previous record of 50 goals in 62 games with Kevin Stevens.

The history did not stop there, though. Matthews is the fastest player to score 50 goals since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96, according to The Athletic's Chris Johnston. Lemieux, an icon with the Pittsburgh Penguins, scored 50 goals in 50 games that season. He finished with 69 goals and 161 points as he took home MVP honors.

Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews chases goal-scoring glory

A few players have come close to the 70-goal mark in recent years. Just last season saw Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid score 64 goals. Matthews himself passed the 60-goal mark a few seasons ago. This year, though, it feels as if the next level is in sight for the Maple Leafs star. He is currently on pace for 75 goals.

However, Matthews is remaining as grounded as he can. He isn't getting ahead of himself, nor is the Maple Leafs star forgetting the bigger picture. Toronto is looking to build upon their playoff success from last season. Matthews will play a vital role in helping this team go on a deep playoff run.

“It's not really the main focus for myself or for this team,” Matthews said a few weeks ago of the 70-goal milestone, via NHL.com “I'm just trying to take it game by game, go out there and play to the best of my abilities and do what I can to help the team win whether that's (getting) on the scoreboard or not.”

Auston Matthews is hoping to bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto. That is a team effort more than anything. That said, the Maple Leafs star is doing his part. And if this run of form carries into the playoffs, Toronto will be a dangerous team this spring.