Matthews expects a little rust and a lot of excitement in Leafs return

The Maple Leafs practiced at Baptist Health Iceplex in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Friday before travelling to Tampa. 

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Auston Matthews is ready to return. 

“In my mind, I'm playing tomorrow and excited to be back," the Leafs centre said after Friday's practice. 

Matthews has missed Toronto's last nine games with an upper-body injury. He last suited up on Nov. 3. 

"It definitely kills me not to be out there," he said. 

Any nerves ahead of Saturday's showdown against the Lightning in Tampa? 

"I didn't forget how to play hockey over the last three weeks," he said with a smile. "But obviously there's going to be a little bit of rust and a little bit of excitement to be back and playing again."

Matthews also practiced on Tuesday, but the decision was made that he needed another full session before jumping back into game action. 

How'd he feel on Friday? 

"Pretty good," the 27-year-old said. "It's nice to get another team practice and working those drills and the competitive aspect and battling and stuff like that."
Matthews scored five goals in 13 games before the nagging issue, which originally popped up in training camp, forced him out of the lineup. 

The last time Matthews came back from an extended injury absence, he showed no rust at all. Back in the 2018-19 season, he was sidelined from Oct. 27 to Nov. 28. He scored twice in his first game back and proceeded to go on a six-game point streak. 

Matthews skated between Matthew Knies and William Nylander at Friday's practice. 

"We have unbelievable chemistry when we play together, the way we find each other," said Nylander. "And obviously he's the best goal scorer in the league, so it's fun to play with him."

"He looks incredible," said Knies, who is also poised to return after missing two games with his own upper-body injury. "Yeah, he looks like he's ready for the game."

Matthews leads the NHL in 5-on-5 goals since making his debut in the 2016-17 season. The Leafs produced just nine goals at 5-on-5 play in the nine games without Matthews. 

"It's great to have him back," said coach Craig Berube. "Looking forward to it. He looks really good out there. A lot of energy, skating well, moving well, so it's good."

Despite the lack of even-strength offence, the Leafs managed to go 7-2-0 without their top-line centre. 

"The key is just not to take a step back," Berube said. "Let's keep pushing. Guys that stepped up, keep stepping up, and even though our captain's back and Kniesy's back, we're getting guys back, but we got to keep building that foundation that we built and keep pushing. Dropped off last game a little bit, but we got to get ready for Tampa." 

Toronto is coming off a 5-1 loss in Florida on Wednesday. 

"The guys have been playing really well," Matthews said. "It's a sign of great things to come, a great team, and obviously with a loss last game we want to get back on track and end the trip on the right foot." 

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Knies spoke with the media for the first time since a big hit from Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Zach Whitecloud knocked him out of a game Nov. 20. 

"I put myself in a tough scenario," the 22-year-old winger said. "I was just trying to get the puck in and you gotta keep your head up. I'm kind of upset that it led me to getting hurt and I missed a few games, but it happens in hockey. I'm just happy that I'm healthy now and I can play and come back."

Whitecloud was initially assessed a major penalty, but the referees rescinded the call upon video review. 

"I watched it a few times," Knies said. "I mean, I gotta trust the league in the sense that they got the play right. He apologized to me after the game. I don't think he's intending to hurt me or do anything. I thought it was fine."

The hit caused so much controversy and conversation around the league that the NHL Department of Player Safety posted a video explaining the call. 

"Whitecloud hits through the body of Knies," the video stated. "While there is inarguably head contact here, we see Knies' entire body stopped in its tracks and driven backwards simultaneously with his head in a way that indicates the body absorbed the force of this check. If we determine the head is not the main point of contact, the review ends there and the hit is considered legal within the framework of the rule."

Knies is off to a hot start this season with eight goals and four assists in 20 games. 

"I don't think I lost any momentum," he insisted. "I'm with the guys on the trip here and still around them all. I'm getting to play with Auston, so there's no lack of momentum there." 

Prior to the injury, Knies was averaging 18 minutes and 24 seconds of ice time per game while getting shifts on both special teams units. Last year, as a rookie, he played 13 minutes and 41 seconds per game. 

"The game kind of slows down a little bit for you," Matthews said of his linemate's development. "I think you've just seen him mature and grow into the kind of player that, you know, he's going to be for a long time for us."

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Asked if he suffered a concussion, Knies said he preferred not to reveal the specific injury. 

Matthews has also declined to divulge what he's been dealing with. 

"I don't think there's really any secrecy," Matthews said. "Like, I don't think we did anything outside of the rules of providing information to you guys."

Matthews pointed out that most NHL teams describe injuries in vague terms like "upper body" and "lower body." 

"It's my choice whether or not I'm going to share the extent of the injury," said Matthews. 

The Leafs consistently listed Matthews as "day-to-day" during his absence. Questions about the injury grew louder as the weeks passed and Matthews wasn't seen on the ice. Attention on the situation then amplified after it was revealed Matthews visited Munich, Germany to see a doctor he's worked with in the past. 

"It just gets a little blown out of proportion with the marketplace and you guys being a little bit nosy," Matthews said. "I think it's just been made out to be a bigger deal than it is. I don't really care."

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In the final game before Matthews exited the lineup, the Leafs used a five-forward look on the power play with Knies joining Matthews, Nylander, Mitch Marner and John Tavares on the top unit. That group produced Toronto's only goal that night in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild. 

Toronto will go back to that alignment on Saturday. 

"I thought it looked really good, just the puck movement, quickness of it all," Berube recalled. "I really like Knies at the net. And I really like JT in the bumper."

Defenceman Morgan Rielly had been quarterbacking the top unit during this stretch with Matthews out. He shifted to the second unit at Friday's practice with Marner taking over at the top of the zone. 

The Leafs actually led the league in power-play percentage (32.4) with Matthews out. They ranked 31st at 10 per cent with Matthews. 

"Just the puck movement's been great and simplifying more things," Matthews observed. "I thought today, even in the practice, we were moving it pretty well and creating chances. Obviously it's a practice, but just want to keep that momentum that we've had over the last seven, eight, nine games going."

Matthews led the Leafs with 18 power-play goals last season. He has just one man-advantage marker this season, which came against the Lightning on Oct. 21. 

"I know my role on the power play," Matthews said. "I'm not going to try to over-complicate things out there, especially in your first game back, want to simplify things and make the right plays."

All the players on the top unit stayed out late after practice for extra reps. Marner fed Matthews and Nylander for one-timer shots and then sent shots toward the net for Knies to tip. 

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Nylander leads the Leafs with five power-play goals this season. With Matthews out, Berube decided to play Nylander on both power play units. 

"It's been good for my rhythm," Nylander said. "I mean, getting more minutes for sure, so that feels good."

Back on Oct. 31, Nylander went public about his desire to play more. He averaged 19 minutes and 55 seconds per game last season. He averaged just 18 minutes and eight seconds in the first 13 games this season. Since Matthews exited the lineup, he's up to 20 minutes and 55 seconds per night, including four minutes per game on the power play. 

"Well, he likes it," Berube said with a smile. "Got his ice time up. That's key. Try to get the minutes up."

It appears that Berube will continue to let Nylander play all the power-play time even with Matthews coming back. 

"He's the type of guy that can handle it," Berube said. "He's dangerous. He makes a second unit better. That's the bottom line."

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With six minutes and 40 seconds left in Wednesday's game, Nylander was assessed a double minor for high sticking Panthers defenceman Nate Schmidt. Florida scored on the ensuing man advantage to go up 4-1. 

"I didn't obviously mean to do that," said Nylander. "I think what happened was he came to kind of box me out and I wanted to box him out back and got him high. Obviously, didn't mean to do that to him."

Schmidt remained in the game and the league did not dish out any supplemental discipline. But Berube had some words for Nylander. 

"You've got to have better control of your stick," the coach said. "There was no reason for it to happen. He should have just worked his way to the net without even being near the guy. But it's hockey, right. Things happen. You're not in their body. You don't know what they're thinking at the time." 

With 12 penalty minutes in 22 games so far, Nylander is already halfway to his total of 24 last season when he played all 82 regular season games. 

The Panthers scored two goals on five power-play chances on Wednesday. Berube also didn't like the high-sticking penalty taken by defenceman Conor Timmins in the third period. 

"We all got to all be better," Berube said. "We took some needless penalties in that game that cost us. You take six minutes in the third period and you're down 3-1, it's going to be tough."

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Bobby McMann left Wednesday's game with a lower-body injury. The left winger, who had been playing on the top line with Tavares and Marner, remains with the team in Florida, but did not take part in practice. 

"Timeline, it's hard for me to tell you exactly," Berube said, "because it's, like, how he's going to feel day-to-day, right? But he's out right now. Yeah, I wouldn't expect him back for a couple games."

Saturday is the start of a busy stretch for the Leafs who will play five times in an eight-day span. 

Pontus Holmberg, who had been filling in as the second-line centre the last three games, will take McMann's spot on the line with Tavares and Marner. 

"Holmberg has played wing or centre, so I put him up there," Berube explained. "He is a guy who can hang onto pucks in the offensive zone and is defensively responsible."

The Leafs are currently without centre David Kampf (lower body), centre/winger Max Domi (lower body), winger Max Pacioretty (lower body) and winger Calle Jarnkrok (groin). Veteran winger Ryan Reaves is also unavailable due to suspension. 

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Lines at Friday's practice: 

Knies - Matthews - W. Nylander 
Holmberg - Tavares - Marner 
Robertson - Minten - Lorentz 
Steeves - Dewar - Grebenkin
A. Nylander, Reaves 

McCabe - Tanev 
Rielly - Ekman-Larsson 
Benoit - Timmins 
Myers, Hakanpää

Stolarz & Woll

Power play units at Friday's practice: 

QB: Marner 
Flanks: Matthews, W. Nylander 
Bumper: Tavares 
Net front: Knies

QB: Ekman-Larsson 
Flanks: Rielly, A. Nylander*
Bumper: Robertson 
Net front: Grebenkin

*Placeholder for W. Nylander