Auston Matthews Out Against Jets with Upper-Body Injury, Status Uncertain for Upcoming Games
The Toronto Maple Leafs will face off against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday without their star center and captain, Auston Matthews, who remains sidelined due to an upper-body injury. This marks the second consecutive game that Matthews will miss, and the Maple Leafs are hoping his decision to rest during the break will allow him to return stronger. Coach Craig Berube provided an update, confirming that Matthews would not be participating in the game. "He's going to rest here over the break and hopefully he comes back in a lot better shape," said Berube, who also noted that Matthews experiences some relief from the injury, but it's still not at a level where he can fully play.
Matthews had initially tried to push through the discomfort after taking two hard hits during the Maple Leafs' 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. Although he managed to score and play a substantial 19:18 minutes, the injuries he sustained during the game seem to have worsened. In addition to an earlier hit from Sabres' Tage Thompson, Matthews also took a cross-check from defenseman Dennis Gilbert, which could have aggravated his condition. His status for the Maple Leafs' next game against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday remains uncertain, with Berube stating that they need to evaluate how Matthews responds to rest over the next few days before confirming any further plans.
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Matthews has been dealing with an ongoing upper-body issue, one that initially caused him to miss nine games last month. During his recovery, Matthews traveled to Germany for specialized consultation, a route he's taken before in an effort to manage his injuries. While Matthews had shown some improvement following his return to action on November 30, this recent setback has put a pause on his momentum.
In his 11 games since coming back, Matthews has been relatively productive, with 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists), and has helped the Leafs to an 8-3 record. However, the team did struggle in his absence earlier in the season, notably losing 6-3 to the New York Islanders without him on the ice. Despite this, Toronto’s record without Matthews remains a solid 42-22-2 historically. Berube has emphasized that the team must get back to its defensive identity, tightening up its play and focusing on puck management, as they've been a little too loose defensively in recent games.
As of now, the Maple Leafs are two points behind the Florida Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division, and they will need to find ways to continue competing at a high level without their key player. The uncertainty surrounding Matthews’ health remains a concern, but the Leafs are hopeful that he will make a strong return when the injury is fully healed.
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