"The Toronto Maple Leafs were dealt a heavy blow when captain Auston Matthews had to leave the game against the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 28 after blocking a shot. It got even worse when the news was out that he would miss the following game two days later. But thankfully, the nightmare is over and Matthews is going to be back in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Winnipeg Jets."
"While the Leafs certainly didn't look like they missed Matthews against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, it's never a bad thing to get a player like the captain back, even if he's not having a typically dominant season. The key will be if adding Matthews back in the lineup will lead to any change compared to how they played against New Jersey. They were physical, fast, willing to drop the gloves, and scoring some high-octane goals."
Auston Matthews left the Dec. 28 game against the Detroit Red Wings after blocking a shot and missed the following game. Matthews skated at the Leafs' morning skate and is confirmed to return for Thursday's game against the Winnipeg Jets. His return provides a significant boost for the team despite a less dominant personal season. The Leafs played well against the New Jersey Devils without him, showing physicality, speed, willingness to fight and scoring high-octane goals. Matthews has 15 goals and 27 points in 33 games while averaging 20:49 of ice time per game. William Nylander remains injured and is doubtful to practice.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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