When the Toronto Maple Leafs travel to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night, they will face a formidable challenge.
It is clear how crucial a victory is for Craig Berube’s team tonight, as the Panthers are currently three points behind the Maple Leafs for the Atlantic Division lead. Fans of the Maple Leafs are hopeful that Matthews will be healthy enough to play against the Panthers because defeating the reigning Stanley Cup Champions won’t be simple. Despite being out since 3 Nov. due to an upper-body injury, the Toronto captain’s return to practice on Tuesday raised hopes for his future.
Even though Matthews’ comeback might not be far off, it appears that the great sniper will likely have to miss at least one more game. “It doesn’t sound like Auston Matthews is quite ready to return to the Maple Leafs lineup tonight,” NHL analyst Chris Johnston said Wednesday morning. “A couple more skates are still required to get back up to speed. The game in Tampa on Saturday is still possible.
Fans who had thought that Matthews will play against the Panthers tonight may find the most recent news depressing. The former 2016 first-overall selection, who has 15 goals and 25 points in 26 encounters with Florida overall, usually performs better versus the Atlantic Division adversary.
However, it’s not shocking that Matthews will miss at least one more game. The two-time NHL All-Star told TSN’s Mark Masters after Tuesday’s practice that it will probably take him several practices before he feels like himself again. “I felt really good, but might need maybe one or two (practices) to really get my legs and lungs back under me,” Matthews stated.
With just two games remaining in the next five days, Matthews may have enough practice time to go back to his best. Toronto will have two days off in the Sunshine State following their Wednesday game against the Panthers before hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
At least a few days will pass before Matthews can play again, but fortunately, his teammates have filled in for him. In the eight games he has missed, the Maple Leafs are 7-1-0, and during that run, their 87.5 win % is the greatest in the NHL.
