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NHL insider Darren Dreger would be 'surprised' if Auston Matthews' status changed for Leafs-Red Wings clash
The Toronto Maple Leafs had to play Tuesday night's clash against the Original 6 and divisional rival Boston Bruins without captain and reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner Auston Matthews.
The good news is that his absence didn't affect the final outcome as the Leafs won 4-0 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and avenged their overtime loss to the Bruins last month.
Leafs fans will want to know whether or not their star captain will be able to suit up when the team hits the ice on Friday. And according to NHL insider Darren Dreger, it's a tossup.
“The expectation is that they’ll give him a game or two to let things settle down. It’s something that has surfaced fairly recently, so it’s not something he’s been dealing with, say, dating back to training camp," Dreger said on TSN Sports.
"It’s described as an upper body injury, so obviously, he’s not in the lineup tonight. I’d be surprised, given the back-to-back, if he plays against Detroit in the Hall of Fame game on Friday. It would depend on how he’s feeling.”
The Maple Leafs take on the Red Wings at Scotiabank Arena on Friday night; the puck is scheduled to drop at 7:00 PM EST.
Leafs captain Auston Matthews' numbers are well off pace from last season
Matthews set a Maple Leafs team record last season, scoring 69 goals during the regular season, claiming the Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL's leading goal scorer.
However, he's scored just five goals with six assists in 13 games played so far in the 2024-25 NHL season. Had he been healthy enough to suit up in all 82 regular season games, he was on pace to score just 32 goals with 38 assists.
In his absence, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube believes that its an opportunity for other players on the roster to step up and fill the void.
“Everybody just digs in more,” Berube said. “Different players get different opportunities in a situation like this whether it’s more minutes, they’re on the power play … they elevate their game and everybody needs to elevate their game tonight, not just because Auston is out of the lineup but because we are playing the Bruins.
Following their Friday tilt against the Red Wings, the Leafs will take on another divisional rival, the Montreal Canadiens, on Saturday night.
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