The game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Anaheim Ducks became cause for concern at the end of the second period after an aggressive collision between two star players. Toronto defender Auston Matthews had to abandon the field due to a knee-on-knee strike by an Anaheim defenseman, Radko Gudas.
The event soon became a hot topic in the NHL game. Matthews, who is one of the greatest scorers in this league, already scored a goal in the night. Nonetheless, the great impact caused instant apprehension among the Maple Leafs, since the team is currently waiting to be informed by the medical staff about its star forward.
Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews injury update after Anaheim Ducks’ Radko Gudas hit
The incident took place, and there were a little bit more than four minutes left in the second period. Auston Matthews was heading towards the net of the Ducks to get a pass, and Radko Gudas was on the offensive to defend it. Matthews attempted to evade the check, and his leg by Gudas went outwards and collided knee to knee. The Maple Leafs captain fell onto the ice.
Matthews remained on his knees for a few seconds as trainers came. The Toronto star was seemingly in apparent distress and was later assisted off the ice before being taken to the locker room.
Just when the third period was underway, the Maple Leafs confirmed that Matthews would not play because of a lower-body injury and assessed him further.
The blow just followed the time when Matthews had scored his 27th goal of the season. The dangerous hit was evaluated by officials as a five-minute major penalty against Radko Gudas and misconduct. Due to the violence of the collision, the incident would now become a subject of interest to the NHL Department of Player Safety, which reviews plays that involve knee-on-knee contact.
Following the match, the chief coach of the Maple Leafs, Craig Berube, publicly criticized the play and implied that the league would most probably investigate the matter further.
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