More Details Emerge on Auston Matthews Injury Forcing him to Miss USA vs Sweden
With Auston Matthews missing Team USA's game against Sweden, some new information has revealed exactly what kept him out of Monday's contest.
It's been a tough couple of days for the American side during the 4 Nations Faceoff. Though they came out with a win against Canada, but they lost Matthew Tkachuk.
They triumphed against Sweden as well, though did so without captain Auston Matthews.
Though it speculated that he may have gotten an illness, some new information has revealed the true nature of his injury and it's a bit concerning for Maple Leafs fans.
While NHL Insider Chris Johnston believes there's nothing too wrong with Matthews, it's the third time he's dealt with an injury this season.
So it begs to question: Is Auston Matthews going to be healthy for the 4 Nations Finals?
Auston Matthews Injury Not Concerning But His Injury History Is
Though it's not expected to be serious, neither was Matthews' initial injury this season that kept him sidelined for nine games before a short return then just as quickly back on the shelf for six more games.
Granted that was an upper-body issue, and this one seems to be lower-body, however his injury history does show that he's suffered from multiple lower-body ailments in the past.
It's concerning to see just how fragile Matthews is this season, and with the playoffs only a few weeks away; Maple Leafs fans need to worry a bit.
While this finals game against the Canadians no doubt a heated rematch, the future of Matthews this season is of utmost importance.
Toronto is in as good a spot as ever to make a push for the Stanley Cup and they need Matthews to be healthy.
They've already dealt with a lot of injuries this season, and another from the captain is not what they need.
This season, even with the injuries, Matthews has 20 goals and 25 assists in 40 games which while respectable those could be much higher if he didn't miss a good chunk of the first half.
If Matthews misses Thursday's game (unlikely but a possibility), it'll deal a heavy blow to an already depleted American side.
So you should look for the Canadians to take full advantage of a weakened US team.
![Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Auston Matthews (34) plays the puck against Team Finland in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/529741.webp "Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Auston Matthews (34) plays the puck against Team Finland in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
![Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Auston Matthews (34) plays the puck against Team Finland in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/529501.webp "Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Auston Matthews (34) plays the puck against Team Finland in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
