There, of course, are other factors involved.

How many more goals, for example, will Ovechkin have before he retires?

How healthy can Matthews remain?

And how long will Matthews’ totals be augmented by elite wins like his linemate Mitch Marner, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent July 1?

None of these questions are of concern right now to Matthews, who, like the rest of the hockey world, just enjoyed watching Ovechkin create history.

“Pretty cool,” he said. “I think just to be able to witness that, I just felt like everything went right there. I mean, it was in his spot (left face-off circle), on the power play, the celebration … everything was amazing.

“And it was pretty cool to witness that record being broken. I mean, kind of like, obviously, Wayne Gretzky, the amount of goals you have to score, the consistency, and everything that goes into it. So, it’s obviously pretty cool to witness that.”

He chuckled when it was pointed out that Ovechkin eats submarine sandwiches as a pregame meal and enjoys a few beers every now and then, not actually the health regimen many modern day NHLers adhere to.

“I mean, I think he’s just built different than most people, probably, and just kind of has that X-factor,” Matthews said. “So, I don’t know.

“I mean, everyone’s different, but he’s obviously a bit of a specimen.”

Matthews needs just two goals to reach 400 in the NHL. But he’s more concerned with his team’s upcoming road trip through Florida, which starts at the Florida Panthers on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, TSN4) and also includes a visit to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.

Back-to-back wins certainly would leave the Maple Leafs in prime position to finish first in the Atlantic Division. They entered Monday in first place with 98 points, four ahead of the Lightning (44-26-6) and six in front of the Panthers (44-29-4). Toronto and Tampa Bay have six games remaining; Florida has five.

The injury-plagued Panthers have lost five consecutive games (0-4-1), but Matthews said the defending Stanley Cup champions are always a handful.

“They’ll be ready to go,” he said. “I think the focus for us is on our team, and our group making sure we’re ready in here. But, obviously, they’re an experienced team, a veteran team.

“You lose a couple in a row (like the Panthers), you know you’re going to get a good game from them.”