Maple Leafs suffer further setback as another forward is injured in loss to division rival Panthers
The Maple Leafs failed to put some distance between them and the Florida Panthers, but an injury-riddled forward corps lost another player in Bobby McMann.
You could sense the frustration coach Craig Berube was feeling as he watched his Maple Leafs lose yet another forward to injury, this time Bobby McMann.
Then Berube simply came out and said it.
“It’s frustrating,” Berube said of the litany of injuries. “But hopefully we get some guys coming back next game.”
And with that the focus moved from a disappointing 5-1 loss to Atlantic Division rival Florida to that of captain Auston Matthews, who looked as good in Wednesday’s morning skate as he did in Tuesday’s full practice.
It’s believed Matthews and linemate Matthew Knies — both out with undisclosed upper body injuries — are targeting Saturday’s game in Tampa to return to the Leafs lineup.
“He looks great out there,” teammate Steven Lorentz said of Matthews. “When he’s got the puck, even in practice, he’s making plays. He’s just same. So, that would be a huge boost, obviously, but I guess we’ll have to take it day by day and see what happens.”
The Leafs have punched above their weight without Matthews, going 7-2-0, the most important of the six regulars missing from the lineup. But there’s only so much AHL call-ups can do to support the remaining healthy regular NHLers.
“We’re missing half our team up front, man,” said Mitch Marner. “You know, it’s tough.”
Marner scored a power-play goal, the team already down by three at the time, as the Leafs had trouble connecting on passes, generating offence or even playing with any sense of purpose.
But it’s hard to be critical of a team that had a let-down given it’s found a way to win, not just without Matthews and Knies, but without Max Pacioretty, David Kämpf and Max Domi on top of a suspension to Ryan Reaves. McMann is day to day with a lower-body injury.
The injuries means Berube puts his lines — made up of five players who started their seasons as Marlies — in a continuous blender.
“We don’t have the finishers, but I’m not going to focus on that,” said Berube. “I’m focused on what we have in the lineup and how we need to play to generate chances and score goals.”
There’s upside to the experience the likes of rookies Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin are getting. Alex Steeves and Alexander Nylander are showing cracks in their play, while Connor Dewar, who started with the Marlies on a conditioning stint, seems comfortable as a defensive centre.
“These young guys have been great,” said Marner. “They’ve been working their a—es off. They bring a lot of energy, do a lot of great things. It’s a tough league. So get our bearings, enjoy the reset and ready for another challenge in Tampa.”
Standings get tight
It’s a loss that might come back to bite the Leafs, who have learned the hard way that winning the division matters when it comes to playoff time. The Leafs remain in first place in the Atlantic, but the top of the division just got closer, with the Panthers just one point back.
Three-ring circus
Congrats OEL, Stevie, and Stolie! pic.twitter.com/0ZlqJmjhVX
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) November 27, 2024
But if there’s disappointment beyond the standings, it’s that the Leafs couldn’t make the homecoming of Anthony Stolarz, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Steven Lorentz a happy one.
“It was really neat, cool to be a part of,” said Lorentz. “But obviously the result was not what we wanted, so it kind of put a little dampener on that.”
The three former Panthers picked up their Stanley Cup rings before their morning skate, renewed acquaintances with former teammates, and each were feted individually through the first period. There were even chants of “Stol-ly, Stol-ly” for Stolarz, as there are now at the Scotiabank Arena.
“Emotions were a little high,” said Stolarz. “I would have liked a better outcome, especially early on from me. Could have made one of those saves and kept the game a little bit tighter.”
The ring ceremony was private, in the Panthers dining hall at their practice facility with members of last year’s team in attendance.
“What we had in there was something special, and that’s why we had the chance to go all the way,” said Ekman-Larsson. “I’m here. I’m happy to be here and help the Leafs out for the same goal.”
Roster moves
Reaves sat out the third of his five-game suspension. Jani Hakanpää and Philippe Myers were healthy scratches.
Matthews (upper body) missed his ninth game while Knies (upper body) missed his second. Both are likely targeting a return to action on Saturday in Tampa.
Domi (undisclosed) missed his third game. He is not on the trip.
