Auston Matthews status update; will he play against the Panthers?
The chase for 60 resumes tonight for Auston Matthews as he will get back into the lineup against Florida. Matthews missed the last 3 games with an undisclosed injury, that apparently was not something he's dealt with before. That in itself is good news as it was about this time last year that Matthews' wrist began to bother him and we all saw how ineffective he was in the playoffs in terms of scoring.
The Leafs went 2-1 without Matthews; but it gave Keefe the opportunity to see what lines would and wouldn't work should they have to put the lines in a blender come playoff time. Not only was Keefe able to see what worked and didn't work, but it gave Matthews the opportunity to rest without having the chance to say no. We all know Matthews would've tried to play the rest of the season to hit 65 goals, but the rest will give him a chance to go into the playoffs fresher and a little healthier.
The last time Matthews was out of the lineup (suspended) he came back and averaged 2 points per game from March 19th to April 16 so look for him to come out flying tonight in Florida.
POLL |
AVRIL 23 | 291 ANSWERS Auston Matthews status update; will he play against the Panthers? How many goals will Matthews finish the season with after his unexpected layoff? |
58 | 17 | 5.8 % |
59-60 | 108 | 37.1 % |
61-62 | 146 | 50.2 % |
63-65 | 20 | 6.9 % |
List of polls |
|
48 minutes ago | By Mike Armenti Maple Leafs Coach Craig Berube Shares What Information He Can About Auston Matthews |
|
1 hour ago | By Mike Armenti Maple Leafs Confirm Auston Matthews' Status for Monday's Game Against Jets |
|
2 hours ago | By Ryan Smitheram Outrage Very Apparent After Maple Leafs' Poor Handling of Auston Matthews Injury |
|
3 hours ago | By Mike Armenti Leafs' Ryan Reaves and Max Domi Show Their Christmas Spirit in Funny Instagram Post |
|
5 hours ago | By Ryan Smitheram Insider Provides Update on Playing Future of Former Leafs Defenseman John Klingberg |
|
15 hours ago | By Nick Matthews Former Maple Leafs Goalie Gets Into Bizarre Goalie Scrap |
|
19 hours ago | By Dean Chaudhry John Tavares Makes His Intentions With the Maple Leafs Very Clear |
|
21 hours ago | By Dean Chaudhry The Maple Leafs May Need to Have a Difficult Conversation With Auston Matthews |
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily