The Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks held optional skates at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.

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Macklin Celebrini will face one of his hockey role models for the first time when the San Jose Sharks take on Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs on Monday night in Toronto.

"He's been one of the players I watch and look up to," San Jose's rookie centre said. "Growing up, him and [Connor] McDavid were kind of in the spotlight and that was super cool for me, so to play against him tonight is going to be cool."

Celebrini joined the exclusive club of players drafted first overall last June. What does he notice when he watches the top pick from the 2016 draft?

"His ability to score goals," the 18-year-old from Vancouver said with a big smile. "I mean, that's obviously one."

Matthews has scored more goals than any other player since breaking into the league. But the 27-year-old Leafs captain had gone quiet of late. Sunday's goal in Pittsburgh marked the first time Matthews beat a goalie since Jan. 22. The dry spell stretched 13 games, including three with Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

"We've been winning games, so that's the most important part," Matthews said. "The chances have been there. Still creating elsewhere for other guys too."

Matthews has 11 assists in his last nine games with the Leafs. He also had three assists in three games with Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

And the Leafs have won five straight since returning from the break and eight of nine overall.

"You just keep pushing," Matthews said of his mindset. "The opportunities will continue to be there. And to just bear down and put one [in], it's obviously a good feeling."

"I know he's been snakebit a little bit, so it's nice," said Leafs coach Craig Berube. "He had six shots on net, so he's shooting, which is good."

The goal was No. 390 for Matthews, which moved him past Darryl Sittler and into sole possession of second spot on the franchise's goal-scoring list.

"It's nice to be in the same sentence as a guy like Darryl Sittler," Matthews said. "Obviously a great Leaf, paved the way for some of us now here today, so it's a big honour."

Only Mats Sundin (420) is ahead of Matthews on Toronto's all-time goals list.

Berube has praised Matthews for maintaining a stellar two-way game despite not scoring as much of late. That's what Celebrini sees as well.

"His defensive game and his positioning on the defensive side of the puck is something that gets a little bit overlooked," said Celebrini, who leads the Sharks with 44 points. "He's responsible. You just watch him and he's so calm and feels like he's always in the right spot. That's something that kind of gets overlooked, but it's something that, when you really pay attention to his game, stands out."

When he broke into the league, Matthews didn't have to face top lines every night. The Leafs leaned on centre Nazem Kadri to take on the tougher matchups.

Celebrini, meanwhile, is already atop the Sharks’ depth chart.

"He's handled everything really well," said Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky. "Everything he's been thrown at from players to media, the schedule, the grind, our situation, I think Mack's handled everything really, really well. He's a mature kid, competitor, so I don't think any moment is big for him. For a young man, it's impressive."

Celebrini, who missed Sunday's practice to rest a lower-body issue picked up during Saturday's loss in Ottawa, sounded eager to step into the spotlight in the centre of the hockey universe.

"It's going to be cool," he said of his first game in Toronto. "It's one of the oldest franchises and........

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