Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews to miss game against Jets

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without their captain for a second-straight contest Monday versus the Winnipeg Jets as Auston Matthews remains sidelined with an upper-body injury.

Matthews missed Saturday’s 6-3 home ice loss to the New York Islanders due to the ailment, his first game out of the lineup since a nine-game absence in November due to the same injury. During that three-week stretch, Matthews visited with a German-based doctor to receive injury treatment.

Since his return, Matthews has registered six goals and six assists for 12 points through 11 contests. On the season, Matthews has made 24 total appearances in which he has collected 23 points counting 11 goals and 12 assists. Despite his extended absence this season, Matthews sits fourth in Maple Leafs’ scoring, behind Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares.

The reigning Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy winner as the NHL’s leading goal scorer, the 27-year-old Arizona native headlined last season with 69 goals plus 38 assists for a career high of 107 points coming in 81 games. The first-overall selection from the 2016 NHL Draft, Matthews is a three-time Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy recipient who has tallied 379 goals and 239 assists for 672 points through 586 career contests with the Maple Leafs. In the offseason, the Maple Leafs appointed Matthews as the 26th captain in franchise history, succeeding Tavares.

Sitting second place in the Atlantic Division with a 21-11-2 showing and 44 points, the Maple Leafs will look to return to their winning ways Monday against the Jets. Entering Monday action, the Jets sit atop the NHL with a record of 24-10-1 and 49 points, a stretch that has seen the club find the win column in three of its past four outings, punctuated by a 5-0 home ice victory over the Central Division rival Minnesota Wild on Saturday.