Positive Update Emerges on Max Pacioretty After Last Night's Injury Scare Against the Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Pacioretty seems to be alright after taking an awkward fall on Saturday night, leading to his removal from the game.
With Toronto riding a wave of momentum they came into Saturday's game with a renewed focus. A new lease on life for their powerplay, and a fantastic goaltending performance have given Toronto a boatload of confidence.
With Toronto leading 1-0 toward the end of the first period, Max Pacioretty was crosschecked and got tangled up with Montreal's Michael Matheson, then fell awkwardly to the ice before gripping his hamstring:
It led to Pacioretty being removed from the game as Toronto held their breath waiting to hear how serious it was. It was a scary time to be a Maple Leafs fan, but there's been a big update and it looks very good:
While we don't know the extent of the injury, nor do we know how long Pacioretty will be out, hearing that he's on the mend and it's not as bad as initially thought is a big sigh of relief for both the Maple Leafs and for Pacioretty; who is coming off two tough seasons filled with injuries.
Pacioretty has been a very big surprise for the Maple Leafs this season. While he only has two goals, he does have four assists and has helped John Tavares and William Nylander form Toronto's best line over the last couple of weeks.
The loss of Pacioretty for any amount of time would be terrible, so it would be best for Toronto to stay cautious with him, especially given his history with injuries.
Even if he were to sit out the game against Ottawa on Tuesday, it should give him enough time to heal up for Wednesday's game against Washington but would be cleared for sure by Saturday's game against Edmonton. With him potentially out for Tuesday, look for Bobby McMann to take his spot.
It's a big sigh of relief that Max Pacioretty's injury is not as bad as first thought, because his comeback story has been so much fun to watch and it would be tragic to have it cut short yet again.
