{"id":513951,"date":"2026-03-20T22:32:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T22:32:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/513951\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T22:32:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T22:32:14","slug":"leafs-expect-matthews-will-find-a-way-to-come-back-even-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/513951\/","title":{"rendered":"Leafs expect Matthews will ‘find a way to come back even better’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Maple Leafs (optional) and Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> skated at Scotiabank Arena on Friday. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Auston Matthews<\/a> underwent surgery in New York on Thursday to repair a torn MCL in his left knee. <\/p>\n

\u201cAdversity hits and some tough days ahead of him, but also some great days,\u201d said Leafs teammate and good friend Max Domi<\/a>. \u201cI mean, he\u2019s about as mentally strong as it gets, so he\u2019ll find a way to come back even better than he was before, which is tough to imagine. He\u2019s already that good, so I\u2019m excited to see that. It\u2019s going to be a good summer for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Leafs captain sustained the injury on a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim Ducks<\/a> defenceman Radko Gudas<\/a> on March 12.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been through surgery and it\u2019s not fun,\u201d said winger Nick Robertson. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty weird. You go to sleep and you wake up and you don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on and you\u2019re pretty numbed up and it\u2019s sore. It\u2019s a long journey, but it\u2019s worth it. You don\u2019t want to prolong the injury. It\u2019s one of the things you have to do in your career.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Leafs announced that the recovery timeline for Matthews is approximately 12 weeks. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll have a good approach,\u201d coach Craig Berube<\/a> said. \u201cHe\u2019s a hard worker and he\u2019ll do what he has to do to get it 100 per cent healthy and ready to go again. He\u2019s not afraid to do what\u2019s needed and the work he has to put in.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Leafs have 13 games remaining, including Friday\u2019s home date against the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a>. Toronto is last in the Atlantic Division and destined to miss the playoffs for the first time since Matthews joined the team in the 2016-17 season. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s going to be around us for the rest of the year so it will be nice to see his face,\u201d said winger Matthew Knies<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he goes down, you know the room\u2019s a little off,\u201d Robertson added. \u201cHe\u2019s our captain and I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll find ways to lead us despite not playing.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘He’ll find a\u00a0way to come back better’: Leafs have faith Matthews will respond well to surgery The Maple Leafs shared their reaction to the news of Auston Matthews’ surgery and have offered their support for their captain. The players know injuries are part of the game and have no doubt he will respond well to his recovery and look forward to his return to the team. <\/p>\n

— <\/p>\n

The Leafs did not immediately confront Gudas after the hit, which led Berube to call out the team in the second intermission and later during a post-game media session. <\/p>\n

The entire hockey world seemed to take notice of what happened. <\/p>\n

\u201cYour captain gets taken out like that, I mean, gotta have a way better response,\u201d Senators captain Brady Tkachuk<\/a> said on his Wingmen podcast with brother Matthew Tkachuk<\/a>. \u201cPersonally, I know how I\u2019d feel if I got hit like that and nobody really jumped in there, I\u2019d be pretty pissed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rielly said he had no issue with an opposing player weighing in. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are allowed to share their opinion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Berube believes that Rielly, who is the longest-serving Leaf, took what happened with Matthews personally. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think we all did,\u201d Rielly stressed. \u201cWe\u2019re all aware of it and that\u2019s all.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had more grit in our game, a little more bite, and it\u2019s helped us,\u201d said Robertson. \u201cWe\u2019ve had that no-push-around attitude and we gotta have that more going forward.\u201d <\/p>\n

Rielly dropped the gloves with Kyle MacLean<\/a> on Tuesday night after the Islanders forward bumped into Joseph Woll<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s such a leader for us,\u201d Robertson said. \u201cI remember one time I got hit pretty good in Winnipeg and he stood up for me, so that\u2019s just natural instinct to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Leafs will face Tkachuk and the Senators on Saturday night. <\/p>\n

Rielly has no issue with Sens’ Tkachuk weighing in on how Leafs responded to Matthews injury The Maple Leafs took some criticism for how they handled the injury to Auston Matthews but head coach Craig Berube believes Morgan Rielly took the injury to his captain personally. As for the comments from Brady Tkachuk on the matter on his podcast, the Toronto defenceman was unbothered by it. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Leafs players are under the microscope in Toronto. It\u2019s a similar situation for players across Canada. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely easier in a place like Raleigh,\u201d said Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall<\/a>, who started his career with a six-season run in Edmonton. \u201cI just think the NHL is unique in the fact that there\u2019s seven teams in Canada and all seven of those cities love their hockey \u2013 and as they should. But it\u2019s a lot different once you cross the border in the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since leaving Edmonton, Hall has played in New Jersey, Arizona, Buffalo, Boston, Chicago and now Raleigh. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe fans are still the same during the game, there\u2019s sellouts and they go crazy for the hockey, but I think away from the game, on social media, in the media, it\u2019s just a little bit different in Canada,\u201d the 34-year-old said. \u201cA team like the Green Bay Packers in the NFL, that\u2019s what it\u2019s like to play for a Canadian team. There\u2019s been some really good Canadian teams over the years, [but] I do think that there\u2019s times where it gets a little too much and maybe becomes a bit of a distraction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is that why a Canadian team hasn\u2019t won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens<\/a> in 1993? <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Hall said before cracking a smile. \u201cI think you\u2019re looking for clickbait a little bit, but it\u2019s been a long time and that\u2019s undeniable. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s the reason. I think there\u2019s a lot of things that go into that, and luck and randomness is definitely a part, but at this point it\u2019s starting to get a bit weird.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind\u2019Amour was wary of weighing in considering he\u2019s never played or coached in a Canadian market. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut I do know the mental side of things sometimes, when it\u2019s 24\/7, it\u2019s hard,\u201d Brind\u2019Amour noted. \u201cWhere we live hockey\u2019s huge, but you have a life and you can get away from it, and you can take your kids places and you can do things and, you know, you have a life. And then obviously when you come to the rink it\u2019s different. I don\u2019t know, there\u2019s something there, but I can\u2019t really speak to it, because I haven\u2019t been on the other side of it.\u201d <\/p>\n

‘A lot\u00a0different once you cross the border’: Hall says Canadian teams deal with more distraction Taylor Hall spent six seasons playing in a Canadian hockey market in Edmonton and another few seasons playing in Boston so he is used to the media and fan scrutiny that comes with playing in a hockey-loving city. The Hurricanes forward admitted that it’s definitely easier to play in a place like Raleigh and spoke about how social media has changed things for players. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Knies has been managing a knee injury throughout the season. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been pretty good,\u201d he said when asked how he\u2019s holding up physically. \u201cI\u2019m going to re-evaluate it once the summer hits and try to have a good plan going into summer training and make sure coming back into next training camp and next season that I\u2019m fully healthy and ready to take on 82 games or 84 games.\u201d <\/p>\n

The 23-year-old did not consider shutting things down for the rest of the season even though the Leafs are well out of the playoff picture. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it could get much worse so I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any risk,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s obviously not comfortable playing through it, but everyone\u2019s playing through something I feel like this time of year so it\u2019s not really an excuse. But, yeah, if it\u2019s not going to get worse and there\u2019s no problem with me playing then I\u2019m going to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knies is tied for the team scoring lead with 11 points since the Olympic break. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s fine,\u201d said Berube. \u201cHe came off that Olympic break and I haven\u2019t heard one thing, so he\u2019s healthy.\u201d <\/p>\n

As Leafs play out the stretch, Knies plays through pain: ‘If it\u2019s not going to get worse, there\u2019s no problem’ Matthew Knies is not fully healthy but says there is no concern with him doing any further damage if he continues to play the rest of the season. The Leafs forward said he will evaluate more in the summer and addressed the thought of shutting things down. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

William Nylander<\/a> has produced just one assist in three games since Matthews got hurt. <\/p>\n

\u201cI spoke to him today,\u201d Berube revealed. \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018I don\u2019t know if you\u2019re playmaker now or are you going to shoot?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

Nylander has landed just two shots on net in each of the last three games. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe needs to shoot the puck and he understands that and that\u2019s on the power play too,\u201d Berube noted. \u201cHe understood and he agreed. More direct and shoot pucks. Like, he scores goals and we need him to shoot the puck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leafs Ice Chips: Berube asks Nylander, ‘Are you going to shoot?\u2019 After enjoying an eight-game point streak, William Nylander has been held without a point in his last two games, and while he was not on the ice on Friday morning, he did speak with head coach Craig Berube about the state of his game. TSN’s Mark Masters has more. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Knies scored a beautiful goal the last time the Leafs faced the Hurricanes on Dec. 3 in Raleigh. Where does it rank on his career highlight list? <\/p>\n

\u201cProbably [I\u2019d] say top three for sure,\u201d Knies said with a smile. <\/p>\n

Needless to say, Carolina will be keeping close tabs on No. 23 on Friday night. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s big, he\u2019s fast, he\u2019s skilled,\u201d said Hall. \u201cHe\u2019s a beast. I\u2019ve seen him play first-hand and it\u2019s pretty impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Leafs beat the Hurricanes 5-1 during that December duel. Toronto lost to Carolina 5-4 in Toronto on Nov. 4 in the first meeting between the teams. <\/p>\n

The Hurricanes did not have defenceman Jaccob Slavin in either of their two previous games against the Leafs. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s difficult to get around,\u201d Knies said. \u201cGood defensive defenceman, smart player, good stick, long stick, makes it pretty difficult to create offence and generate really anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slavin is plus-7 on the season despite logging more than 21 minutes a night and facing off against top lines. He blocks 3.96 shots per 60 minutes, which is second on the Hurricanes. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe play an in-your-face type of game,\u201d Slavin said. \u201cOur goal is to take away time and space and not give teams too much. It\u2019s hard. It\u2019s suffocating for teams. It\u2019s hard to play against.\u201d<\/p>\n

After scoring ‘top three’ goal vs. ‘Canes, Leafs ‘beast’ Knies faces big challenge against Slavin In a Maple Leafs’ win in early December against the Hurricanes, Matthew Knies scored one of the nicest goals of his career but this time around, he will be going up against a tough defenceman in Jaccob Slavin. Knies spoke about what makes him so difficult to play against. <\/p>\n

— <\/p>\n

The Hurricanes added winger Nicolas Deslauriers<\/a> at the deadline, but did not make a big splash despite sitting first place in the Metropolitan Division. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere was some chatter about us adding or not adding people, but we like the team we have,\u201d said Hall. \u201cWe\u2019re comfortable with what we have going forward. When we\u2019re on, there\u2019s not a lot of teams that can beat us. But it\u2019s a question of whether we\u2019re on. Lately we\u2019ve had a little bit of inconsistency with just how we\u2019re playing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hurricanes are 3-3-0 since the trade deadline with only one regulation win. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe gotta keep pushing,\u201d Brind\u2019Amour said. \u201cI mean, we know how hard it is. You have one bad week and things look a lot different. We like the group. We\u2019ve liked this group for a long time. We\u2019ve been able to keep the core together for the most part, which is very, very important and special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carolina won four of five games heading into the deadline. <\/p>\n

Brind\u2019Amour downplayed the idea that the quiet deadline took some wind out of their sails. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs an organization, we\u2019re always making moves, but we made a lot of them in the offseason,\u201d the coach said. \u201cWe picked up [Nikolaj] Ehlers and we got [K\u2019Andre] Miller, those were pretty huge acquisitions. So, yeah, I mean, we didn\u2019t do anything at the deadline but we had already made our moves and we were already a team that we were pretty happy with.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hurricanes are set to compete in the playoffs for an eighth straight season. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey have a really good nucleus of players that have led the way,\u201d said Domi, who suited up for the Hurricanes in the 2022 playoffs after being acquired at the deadline. <\/p>\n

\u201cJordan Staal<\/a> driving the bus obviously. Sebastian Aho<\/a> is a great leader as well. Everyone\u2019s just bought into the way they play. They play a very simple formula of hockey and rim a lot of pucks, dump a lot of pucks, and tons of energy and everyone buys in, right. They got four lines that come at you in waves and six great defenders.\u201d <\/p>\n

‘We’re an unbelievable team’: No big deadline deal? No problem for Hurricanes The Hurricanes were one of the teams that had some attention heading into the trade deadline but management did not make any big splashes and they currently sit eight points clear atop the Metropolitan. The confidence is high in the Carolina room and the team believes they are in a good spot heading into the final stretch of the season. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Projected Leafs lineup based on Thursday\u2019s practice: <\/p>\n

Maccelli – Tavares – Cowan<\/p>\n

Knies – Domi – Nylander<\/p>\n

Joshua – Groulx – Robertson<\/p>\n

Lorentz – Quillan – Jarnkrok<\/p>\n

Rielly – Carlo<\/p>\n

McCabe – Stecher<\/p>\n

Benoit – Ekman-Larsson<\/p>\n

Woll starts <\/p>\n

Stolarz<\/p>\n

Lines at Hurricanes skate: <\/p>\n

Svechnikov – Aho – Jarvis<\/p>\n

Hall – Stankoven – Blake<\/p>\n

Ehlers – Staal – Martinook<\/p>\n

Carrier – Jankowski – Robinson<\/p>\n

Deslauriers – Kotkaniemi<\/p>\n

Slavin – Chatfield<\/p>\n

Miller – Walker<\/p>\n

Reilly – Nikishin<\/p>\n

Bussi starts <\/p>\n

Andersen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Maple Leafs (optional) and Carolina Hurricanes skated at Scotiabank Arena on Friday. — Auston Matthews underwent surgery…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":513952,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5106],"tags":[4759,33999,5,20,5172,35233,35232,4,66,31,32467,5171],"class_list":{"0":"post-513951","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-toronto-maple-leafs","8":"tag-apple-news","9":"tag-auston-matthews-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8479318","10":"tag-hockey","11":"tag-maple-leafs","12":"tag-mapleleafs","13":"tag-matthew-knies-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8482720","14":"tag-max-domi-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8477503","15":"tag-nhl","16":"tag-toronto","17":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs","18":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs-sports-hockey-team-team-nhl-api-10","19":"tag-torontomapleleafs"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116263881545071210","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=513951"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513951\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/513952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=513951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=513951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=513951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}