With a flick of the wrist, Toronto Maple Leafs wunderkind Auston Matthews checked off two major milestones in a rookie season that will go down as one of the best in NHL history.

Matthews netted his 39th goal five minutes into the first period of Monday's game against the Buffalo Sabres, breaking the single-season record for most goals scored by a United States-born rookie.

The 19-year-old and 2016 number draft pick now has 67 points, eclipsing a franchise rookie record set by Peter Ihnacak in 1982-83.

Matthews has scored a goal in five straight games as Toronto jockey for positioning in the Eastern Conference play-off race.

With the 4-2 win, Matthews and the Leafs sit alone in second place in the Atlantic Division.