Auston Matthews put an end to one troubling situation in Thursday night's 6-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks, but he left the ice with another problem. After scoring a goal for the first time in 12 games, the 2021-22 Hart Memorial Trophy winner suffered a knee injury in the second period and exited the game in visible pain. He was ruled out for the rest of the night, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
Matthews incurred knee-on-knee contact after Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas skated into him. The official assessed the 35-year-old Czech a five-minute major penalty, but the damage was done. The Maple Leafs cornerstone struggled to put weight on his left leg as he headed toward the locker room.
Toronto managed to pull off the upset victory without Matthews, scoring twice in the third period to snap an eight-game losing streak. But it is hard to feel jubilant after seeing No. 34 suffer a potential knee injury. Although the Leafs (28-27-11) are lumbering their way through a rough campaign that will end well short of a playoff berth, long-term health is still vitally important.
Hopefully, head coach Craig Berube has encouraging news to share with the media during the postgame press conference. Auston Matthews has 27 goals and 26 assists through 60 games played this season. If the three-time Maurice Richard Trophy recipient needs time to recover from this issue, the Maple Leafs will certainly not rush him back. Without Matthews, the squad could slide farther down the standings and improve its draft positioning.
Toronto should not worry about such things at this current moment, however. The 28-year-old could use some support after taking a brutal hit. Radko Gudas may not want to visit any local establishments after he leaves Scotiabank Arena.
