Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews expects to face Flames after injury scare

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 2/9/22

Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs were left holding their breaths on Monday night when star center Auston Matthews went down with an apparent injury late in the third period. Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce accidentally kneed Matthews in the head as the 24-year-old was falling toward the boards.

Toronto ultimately won that game 4-3 in overtime and delivered even better news Wednesday when it was learned Matthews seems good to go for Thursday's matchup at the Calgary Flames.

"When I got back to the room I was just a bit shaken up," Matthews explained about the scare, per the NHL's website. "It just happened so quick but fortunately I was able to calm down and everything checked out well so I was fortunate it was nothing serious.

"I just felt like I got hit in the side of the head pretty hard and wasn't expecting it so I was just a bit shaken up but I felt fine later that night and felt good the next day and throughout the day. Talking with the medical team there was no hesitation jumping into practice today and just be right there at it."

The fact doctors cleared Matthews to practice Wednesday means the concussion protocol shouldn't sideline him on Thursday unless he experiences a setback before the game.

According to ESPN stats, Matthews sits third in the league with 31 goals and is tied for eighth with 53 points. Toronto, meanwhile, heads into Wednesday evening third in the Atlantic Division standings with 63 points, three points back of the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning and eight ahead of the fourth-place Boston Bruins.

More must-reads: