Leafs Star Auston Matthews is Out Thursday vs. the Lightning
TSN’s Mark Masters reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews will not play in Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Sheldon Keefe confirms Auston Matthews and Jake Muzzin are out tonight
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 21, 2022
Coach stresses there?s no extra concern with Matthews ? he is close to playing and looked good this morning @TSN_Edge
Matthews is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will miss his third game in a row. The All-Star set the franchise record for goals this season with 58 and is closing in on 60 with five games left.
Over his past five outings, Matthews had four goals and three assists. This season, Matthews has looked borderline unstoppable and is one of the leading candidates for the Hart Trophy. In 70 games, he has 58 goals and 102 points.
Jake Muzzin will also sit, missing his fifth of six games. Muzzin suffered a concussion in February and has a history of concussion issues, so it makes sense for the Leafs to be careful with his return to regular use.
Toronto is second in the East and eight points ahead of Tampa Bay.
Over at FanDuel Sportsbook, the Toronto Maple Leafs are +108 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
