The Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets held optional skates on Wednesday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.
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Help is on the way for the last-place Leafs. Forwards Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies and Nicolas Roy will all return from injury on Wednesday night in Columbus.
“Today’s a new day,” declared Matthews after taking part in the optional morning skate. “It’s a great opportunity for us. I think we’re excited to be on the road, be out here together for an extended period of time, and it’s a great opportunity for us to find our way through adversity.”
“It’s a boost for our team, for morale,” said coach Craig Berube. “Getting our captain back for sure and the other two guys are good players, important players.”
The Leafs have dropped seven of eight games (1-5-2) to fall all the way to the basement of the Eastern Conference. Toronto is a league-worst 1-6-0 on the road, which is where they will play the next five games.
“You feel like your back is kind of against the wall,” said Matthews, who has missed the last five games with a lower-body issue. “Things haven’t really gone the way we wanted them to, especially of late.”
“We’re trying to climb ourselves out of it,” said Knies, who has missed the past three games with a lingering lower-body injury. “I think this road trip could be a good spark for that. I think if we have a good road trip, I think we could be put in a really good spot.”
Injecting top-line centre Matthews, top left winger Knies and third-line centre Roy back into the lineup will create a spark as Toronto looks to avoid getting swept by the Blue Jackets, who have already beat them twice this season.
“Great to get the guys back, but that doesn’t change everything,” stressed Berube. “We need to play better, and we need everybody to play better. It’s a big game for sure, start of a road trip, could get us on the right foot here, but let’s focus on the process of how we got to get that done.”
Maple Leafs hope reinforcements can help them snap slump Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies and Nicolas Roy will all be returning from injury tonight against the Blue Jackets. Toronto is hoping the boost of healthy bodies can help them get back in the win column.
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Matthews has not played since taking a big hit from Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov on Nov. 11 in Boston. Matthews retaliated with a hit of his own, which resulted in the injury.
“I mean, I’m three feet away from the boards, and he hits me in the numbers,” Matthews said. “But I know his game, and he likes to play hard. You respect that but, at the same time, maybe I could have put myself in a better position knowing that he’s out there [and] put myself away from getting hit like that. In the end, it’s hockey, and you go through it, and it’s all good. It’s a couple weeks ago, and you just kind of move past it and do what you can to get back. I’m feeling good and excited to get back in the lineup.”
Matthews skated on Wednesday morning, which was his eighth on-ice session since getting hurt. Any issues getting his shot off?
“Early on it was a little bit tough, but I think over the last four or five days, last week, everything, I think the strength and everything just has come back,” the 28-year-old centre said. “Every day has been a positive day, a better day than the day before, so it’s been good.”
Matthews was bothered by an upper-body injury throughout all of last season, but does not think this latest issue will not be something he has to manage.
“It’s just kind of one of those things that needs time to heal and, especially over the next couple days or so, I’m sure it will just continue to feel better,” Matthews said. “I feel really solid and ready to play.”
‘It’s been a tough couple weeks’: Matthews set for return in Columbus Auston Matthews explains why the last few weeks have been tough but says he made some significant strides over the last four to five days and hopes to make an impact in his return to the lineup tonight.
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Knies participated in a morning skate on Nov. 18 before being a late scratch that night against the St. Louis Blues.
“It was kind of bugging me in the morning,” Knies recalled. “I just came in to see if it was possible if I warm it up and try to get it going and [maybe] I could play. But I think it was just getting worse. It bothered me for a long time. Yeah, it just kept getting worse, so I just thought, you know, it’s probably not the best to keep playing on it.”
Knies noted the injury dates back more than a month. Berube indicated it initially flared up in training camp.
“Nagging things like that can affect you over time because it’s constant,” the coach said. “It’s every day. It’s not getting better. It’s not going away. So hopefully he’s cleared up there and he’s 100 per cent.”
Will the injury be something Knies has to manage moving forward?
“The time off did a good job,” the 23-year-old said. “I think I can manage it well. I’m sure I don’t have to worry about it since I took this time to kind of heal it up and get it back to, you know, where it needs to be to play and to make an impact on the ice. So, yeah, I’m just going to take good care of it and, yeah, move forward.”
‘It sucks watching’: Knies hopes to spark Leafs after recovering from nagging injury Matthew Knies discusses his nagging injury that’s kept him out of the lineup and says he’s been dealing with it for over a month. He hopes to bring a spark to the Leafs lineup that is desperate for reinforcements.
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Roy refused to reveal how he got hurt.
“Don’t really want to get too much into details,” he said. “What did they call it? Upper-body injury.”
Roy did confirm that the injury happened during the game in Chicago on Nov. 15 when he logged a season-high 19 minutes and 45 seconds and landed a season high five shots on net.
“Obviously, at this point of season wanted to have probably a little more points than that,” Roy said of his season. “I always want to help your team offensively as well, but I think I can help in different situations.”
Roy, who was acquired in the Mitch Marner sign-and-trade deal, has generated just one goal and three assists in 19 games.
Roy joins the party of returning injured players for Leafs Nicolas Roy didn’t want to get into details about his injury that he suffered in Chicago on November 15th, but says he’s good to go tonight and hopes to help Toronto snap their skid.
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In order to activate Matthews and Roy off injured reserve, the Leafs created roster spots by placing forward Sammy Blais on waivers and assigning centre Jacob Quillan to the minors.
Dakota Joshua and Matias Maccelli stayed out late at the morning skate and appear to be healthy scratches for Wednesday’s game, although Berube declined to confirm who will sit.
Joshua leads the Leafs in hits, but has gone eight straight games without a point and 13 straight without a goal. Berube described Joshua’s season as being “just okay” so far.
“We chatted today,” the coach revealed. “He’s got more to give, and he knows that and he wants to give more. It’s just about getting him going in the right direction here.”
This will be the first time Joshua is a healthy scratch with the Leafs.
Maccelli, meanwhile, has one secondary assist (on the power play) in the past seven games. He has just one shot on net in the last four games. This will be the second time Maccelli is a healthy scratch this season.
Joshua and Maccelli are two of the three notable additions general manager Brad Treliving made up front to try and fill the void created by the departure of Marner.
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Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski is good to go after leaving Monday’s game in Washington with an upper-body injury.
“Yeah, just trying to figure it out, kind of navigate it, see where I’m at,” Werenski explained. “Got better each day and I feel good right now, so excited to play tonight. It’s always fun playing here at home against the Leafs and before Thanksgiving. It’s going to be a great hockey game tonight and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Werenski good to go against Maple Leafs Zach Werenski sustained an upper-body injury during Monday’s loss to the Capitals, but the issue won’t cause him to miss a game. He discusses his excitement to face Toronto again right before Thanksgiving.
The news wasn’t as good for Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier. The team’s hits leader will miss Wednesday’s game with an upper-body injury.
Stoney Creek, Ont. native Luca Pinelli was called up from the American Hockey League and will make his NHL debut against the team he grew up cheering for.
“It awesome it ended up working out like this,” the 20-year-old told TSN. “I can’t wait.”
Pinelli’s mom, dad and oldest brother will be in Columbus to support him on Wednesday night, as well as some buddies from back home.
“It was definitely emotional,” the 20-year-old said. “Hopped on a family FaceTime call and it was great, you know, talking to them and letting them know right away.”
Pinelli’s favourite player growing up was Matthews.
Jackets leading scorer Kirill Marchenko remains sidelined as does captain Boone Jenner and defenceman Erik Gudbranson.
Defenceman Brendan Smith will make his Jackets debut replacing Jake Christiansen.
After growing up Leafs fan, Pinelli makes NHL debut against Toronto Luca Pinelli grew up a Maple Leafs fan in Stoney Creek, Ontario and will make his NHL debut tonight for the Blue Jackets against his hometown team. He joins Mark Masters to discuss his excitement and some familiar faces he’ll be playing against.
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There was another positive injury development for the Leafs on Wednesday as defenceman Brandon Carlo skated for the first time since being forced from the lineup with a lower-body injury. He has been out since Nov. 13.
Joseph Woll is Toronto’s projected starter after skipping the morning skate. Jet Greaves gets the call for the Jackets.
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