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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews Gives Update on Eye Injury in Game 6

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Levine | Last updated May 17, 2025 1:27 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be hosting Game 7 of their second-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers after staving off elimination in Game 6. Toronto held the Panthers scoreless in the game and did just enough to keep the season alive.

But during Game 6, there was a scary incident involving Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews. Matthews took a high stick to the left eye from Panthers' Sasha Barkov and was forced to leave the ice to seek medical attention in the locker room.

Luckily for everyone, Matthews was able to return to the ice. Matthews is one of the leaders for this team, so his presence on the ice is paramount.

But after the game, the Toronto star provided an update on the injury.

“A little scary there,” he said. “I had some trouble seeing, so they just wanted to go check it out in the room and let it calm down. And I was kind of able to get somewhat decent vision back.”

Matthews opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs in the game, giving them a 1-0 lead. Toronto never looked back from there, and behind a strong performance from their star, the Maple Leafs were able to stay alive.

“Just a gutsy, gutsy win,” Matthews said.

The Maple Leafs understand what is at stake in Game 7, especially with it being played on home ice. But the Panthers won't be so easy to get rid of, and they have shown plenty of championship composure during this series.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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