The Maple Leafs are facing the prospect of playing another game without their captain, as Auston Matthews remains day-to-day with an undisclosed upper-body injury after missing Thursday’s practice.
“He’s doing OK,” said coach Craig Berube. “It’s still a day-to-day thing.”
Matthews was absent from the Leafs’ 4-0 victory over Boston on Tuesday due to an ongoing injury. Despite his absence, the team has posted an impressive 36-19-2 record without him in the lineup.
While the team’s success without Matthews is hard to explain, veteran Max Pacioretty has a theory.
“We’re talking about the best player in the world, you want him in the lineup every night,” said Pacioretty. “There’s no replacing him. But there’s a boost when you see him in the facility, doing everything he can to help the team.”
Perhaps that motivates you, in the sense that we want to do right by him.
The Leafs will play back-to-back home games this weekend, facing Detroit on Friday and Montreal on Saturday. It’s still uncertain whether Matthews will be in the lineup.
“It’s hard for me to answer that question with what I know right now about him today,” Berube said. “I can’t predict what will happen tomorrow. I wish I could.”
More Marlies Action
Forward Connor Dewar and defenseman Jani Hakanpää practiced with the AHL Marlies on Thursday as part of their conditioning stints, which allow them to play in three AHL games. They’ve each played just one so far.
The Marlies have back-to-back games in Charlotte on Saturday and Sunday. Dewar is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, while Hakanpää is coming back from knee surgery.
“A couple more games down there are important for both of them,” Berube said. “They’ve been out for a long time, and I think they need more games to get back up to speed.”
Murray Putting in His Time
Veteran goalie Matt Murray, who has recovered from double-hip surgery, is part of a three-goalie rotation with the Marlies, splitting time in net with prospects Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov.
Murray is 2-1-0 with a .912 save percentage after clearing waivers at the end of Leafs training camp.
“It’s going well,” Murray said. “There are a lot of ways things could have gone, so it’s good for me to get some games in and get my feet wet again.”
Hildeby allowed just one goal in an overtime loss during his lone Marlies appearance, while Akhtyamov has won all four of his starts.
“The challenge is keeping them all happy,” said coach John Gruden. “They’ve been great, and they all want to play. We have to find the right balance and make sure they’re all getting their time.”