TORONTO -- Auston Matthews missed his straight game because of an upper-body injury when the Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 on Monday.
"He's going to rest here over the break and hopefully he comes back in a lot better shape," Toronto coach Craig Berube said before the game. "He gets relief at times, but it's not good enough."
The Maple Leafs center and captain did not participate in a full morning skate prior to a 6-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday, but scored and played 19:18. He took two hard hits in the game, one from Sabres forward Tage Thompson in the first period and a cross check from defenseman Dennis Gilbert in the third period, though he finished the game.
The Maple Leafs don't play again until Friday when they visit the Detroit Red Wings. Berube did not confirm Matthews' status for that game.
"I got to wait to see how he responds here for the next few days," Berube said.
Matthews missed nine games last month because of an upper-body injury and returned Nov. 30, a 5-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. During his recovery, he took a five-day trip to Germany to visit a doctor who both he and other Maple Leafs players have seen in the past, for consultation. The injury was one he had been managing since missing time during the preseason.
As for whether the injury he sustained against the Sabres is related to the previous injury or is an isolated issue, Berube said, "probably a little of both."
Neither Matthews nor Berube have offered any further specifics as to the nature of the previous injury, though the coach did indicate earlier it is not related to a wrist injury Matthews previously had surgery on during the 2021 offseason.
Matthews has 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 11 games since returning from the injury, helping Toronto to an 8-3-0 record during that span. He is fourth on the Maple Leafs with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 24 games this season.
He led the League with a career-high 69 goals last season and has scored at least 40 goals in each of the previous five seasons. Since entering the NHL in the 2016-17 season, Matthews leads the NHL with 379 goals, 29 more than Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers, who is second.
Toronto went 7-2-0 without Matthews last month but has lost the past two games without him, (also 6-3 to the New York Islanders on Saturday). It is 42-23-2 all-time without him.
"We have to get back to our identity a little bit more," Berube said. "I think we have gotten away from it lately, the checking side of things. We have to get back to that where we are tight all over and we're not giving much up. I find we are giving a little bit too much up, a little bit loose at times. The other thing for me is puck management."
Toronto (21-12-2) is two points behind the Florida Panthers for first in the Atlantic Division.
