Auston Matthews hits back at Montreal fans

Few rivalries in the National Hockey League match the storied history of the decades-old feud between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. As two Original 6 franchises, their long-standing competition has been marked by an abundance of memorable moments and legendary players throughout their rich histories.

Saturday night featured the latest edition of an on-ice matchup between the two teams, which Toronto eventually emerged from victorious thanks to goal scoring phenom Auston Matthews registering his 64th tally of the season, putting him within range to match Alex Ovechkin's output of 65 goals in 2007-08, the highest total among NHL players in recent years.

And being the nature of the business between two rivals, the sellout crowd (that included plenty of visiting Toronto fans) had lots of boos for Matthews. But if Habs fans think that their booing of Matthews will get under his skin, they'd better think again.

In fact, Matthews welcomes their derision.

"Honestly, I kind of find it like a tone of respect, I guess, especially in a building like this and a big time hockey city and fan base," Matthews said. "So, I don’t mind (smile). I don’t mind at all."

Superstars like Matthews certainly thrive on being booed by opposition fan bases, and what he's accomplishing this season for the Leafs is nothing short of incredible. 

Recommended articles:

• Auston Matthews sounds off on teammate Ryan Reaves.
• Sickening stat reveals just how good Auston Matthews truly is.
• Auston Matthews hits the 60 goal mark... again.
• Status of Auston Matthews announced
• Auston Matthews missing from Leafs practice!