Auston Matthews Official Game Status vs. the Winnipeg Jets Revealed, Per Craig Berube
The Toronto Maple Leafs have revealed the status of Auston Matthews ahead of their afternoon game against the Winnipeg Jets.
With the unfortunate news that Auston Matthews is once again injured, fans are concerned that the Maple Leafs' captain isn't over his injury woes and was rushed back before he was completely healthy.
He was out against the Islanders on Saturday however was deemed questionable for Monday's game against the Jets. That questionable status was thrown out the window when the team announced Matthews was officially considered out for the afternoon tilt.
It's going to be a tough task heading against the NHL's best team, especially without their captain. The Leafs need a statement game heading into the short Christmas break, and need to make sure they keep Matthews as healthy as possible regardless of time away.
Toronto Needs To Act Cautiously With Auston Matthews
If it wasn't bad enough for the Maple Leafs to be without their captain once before, his injury re-aggravation is a big concern for the future of the team going forward.
With Matthews unable to suit up on Monday, the one saving grace the team has is they can at least use the next few days over Christmas to get him back to health before he hopefully plays their next game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Off to a much slower start due to his injury and new defensive instructions bestowed upon him by Craig Berube, the normally dominant scorer only has 11 goals and 12 assists this season; far and away from what fans have come to expect.
With the 4 Nations Face-Off also coming up in February, the team should also look into trying to convince Matthews to pass on playing in the tournament especially if his injury continues to hold him back.
It's too risky for the team to give Matthews the go-ahead especially if they are going to be fighting for top spot in the Atlantic. They faltered without him against the Islanders, and if they do so again versus Winnipeg; it could be time to sound the alarm.
Craig Berube's Official Update Regarding Auston Matthews
Before Toronto faces off against Winnipeg on Monday afternoon in a matinee to end the season before the Christmas break, head coach Craig Berube spoke to the media regarding Auston Matthews' status:
When asked about if there were any changes or if Matthews was able to get healthy enough to tough it out, Berube was blunt in his assessments:
Finally, the stoic and coy Berube ended up finalizing things with his trademark brash and honest opinion:
So it's going to be a wait and see situation for Matthews, Berube, and company. Fans will just need to be patient and try to enjoy the holidays without stressing about how bad Matthews is hurt. Giving him the time to recover is what's best for everyone involved.
