toronto – Austin Mathews He’ll miss the Toronto Maple Leafs for at the least three weeks with a sprained knee.
The middle was injured in a 3-2 extra time win over the New York Rangers on Wednesday. He had 4 pictures on aim in 21:53 of ice time, however his private 10-game streak (eight objectives and 5 assists) was ended.
“To be sincere, I am undecided if there was a selected incident or something like that,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe mentioned Friday. “I observed he was a bit of uncomfortable a few instances in the course of the recreation however I did not assume a lot of it on the time. He was nonetheless sore the subsequent day so that they introduced him in for an MRI and there was an harm in there so ‘I will take a while’.”
Matthews, who’s third over the Maple Leafs with 53 factors and second with 25 objectives, missed two video games earlier this month on Jan. 11 (2-1 win over the Nashville Predators) and Jan. 12 (4-1 loss to the Detroit Reds). Wings) with an undetected an infection. Keefe mentioned the knee sprain had “nothing to do” with the issue that dominated him out of these two video games.
Matthews, who was amongst 12 gamers chosen within the 2023 NHL All-Star Fan Vote submitted by Assured Fee to take part within the Honda NHL All-Star Weekend, will probably be changed by the Florida Panthers ahead Alexander Barkov on the listing of the Atlantic Division.
“He is a giant a part of our crew and probably the greatest gamers on this planet, so it is a pity,” he mentioned John Tavares He mentioned. “Hopefully he’ll be again right here as quickly as potential, I do know he’ll do no matter must be finished to do it and be able to play. For us as a crew we’ve to tug collectively and not likely attempt to fill a void however I believe simply taking part in with our crew identification and that is what made us profitable.” We have proven good depth all season so there’s an opportunity for different gamers to progress.”
Toronto is 31-16-2 all time with out Matthews, who’s in his seventh season within the NHL, within the lineup.
“If there’s something we have discovered about our squad this season, it is that we had been resilient irrespective of who got here on or off,” Keefe mentioned. “For essentially the most half aside from Auston lacking a few video games the protection has been fairly overwhelmed down. I am undecided the place we’re within the league within the males’s video games we misplaced however it ought to matter by way of the place we’re within the league and it did not upset our crew. We simply hold taking part in.” .
The Maple Leafs have three video games earlier than the NHL All-Star break, beginning with the Ottawa Senators on Friday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, RDS, ESPN+, SN NOW). They play the Washington Capitals on Sunday and the Boston Bruins on Wednesday earlier than not taking part in once more till Feb. 10.
Toronto (30-11-8) is second within the Atlantic, 12 factors behind the first-place Boston Bruins.
“Clearly you are a unique crew however I do not assume you need to play in another way different than simply creating extra probabilities for others, I anticipate them to step up, do their job and every thing that offers us success when Austin is round has to proceed and you need to discover a approach to make it occur,” Keefe mentioned. This extra aim.
Tavares changed Matthews on the road on Friday morning in Toronto between the left wing Michael Bunting and the proper wing Mitchell Marner. middle Pontus Holmberg He was moved to exchange Tavares on the left wing line Callie Jarnkrock and the proper wing William Nylander.
Tavares mentioned he believes Holmberg, who has 12 factors (5 objectives and 7 assists) in 30 video games in his rookie season, will be capable to rise to the highest six spherical within the lineup.
“Only a actually good hockey participant, who understands the sport very well and is admittedly robust on ice skating,” mentioned Tavares. “He does a very good job of defending pucks alongside the wall, again shoulder every so often to get his floor, and he catches his ice and positive aspects house that approach. Very delicate performs that may unleash an exit out of your finish, or assault offensively, he is received actually good instincts.” “.
Ponting took Matthews’ place within the energy play in unity with Marner, Nylander, Tavares and Defensman Morgan Riley. Matthews leads Toronto with 10 objectives. The Maple Leafs rank tenth within the NHL in energy play (24.2 %).
“I believe it is nonetheless the identical,” Marner mentioned of the energy of the sport, which equaled 4-17 within the final six matches since Matthews returned from a two-game absence. “Simply attempt to be impactful, attempt to make a distinction within the recreation after we get our probabilities. Clearly you lose a man who can rating in a number of methods and a number of totally different angles and make performs however the factor about our energy efficiency is all 5 guys can work in these.” The 5 Websites and usually are not afraid to determine wherever.”
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