The Toronto Maple Leafs are dealing with some key injuries with the Stanley Cup playoffs set to begin in less than a week.
Toronto is currently in third place in the Atlantic Division and is locked into that spot. Meaning, the Maple Leafs will go on the road to begin the first round of the playoffs.
Ahead of practice on April 15, Maple Leafs’ reporter Mark Masters revealed Max Domi is dealing with an injury. His status for Game 1 of the playoffs is uncertain.
“He’s been dealing with something & he felt it was not going to affect him to play & I don’t think that was necessarily the case,” Keefe told Masters.
Domi is not expected to play in either of the final two regular season games, as the hope is he can be ready for the start of the playoffs.
Along with Domi, Bobby McMann is also dealing with an injury and will miss the final two regular season games, and his status for the beginning of the playoffs is up in the air.
“We’ve got a week here before we get going so we’ll see where he’s at as that approaches,” Keefe said about McMann.
The final injury for Toronto is forward Calle Jarnkrok who did practice as he is working his way back from a hand injury. But, Keefe is skeptical he will be ready for the start of the playoffs.
“Still to be determined, but I think he’s more in a day-to-day situation. Unfortunately, we’re running out of schedule here,” Keefe said of Jarnkrok.
The bright spot for Toronto is that defenseman Joel Edmundson looked good in practice and is getting closer to a return, which could be as soon as April 16.
Who Will The Toronto Maple Leafs Play In The First Round?
Toronto will likely play the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs, however, that is not set.
The Panthers are one point back of the Boston Bruins for first place in the Atlantic Division, but the Bruins have one game in hand. So, if Boston wins one of their final two games, or if Florida loses their lone game left, the Bruins clinch first in the division, leaving the Panthers to play Toronto in the opening round.
Should Florida play the Maple Leafs in the first round, it would be a rematch of last year’s playoffs that saw the Panthers eliminate Toronto in five games in the second round.
“Playing a team that you might face in the playoffs, you got to set the tone for that series. I know they’re going to try to do the same in their barn & we got to match that. We got to outdo that,” Ryan Reaves told Masters.
Auston Matthews Searching For 70th Goal
With Toronto locked into the third seed in the Atlantic Division, the focus for Maple Leafs fans is Auston Matthews’ search for 70 goals.
Matthews has 69 goals on the season and is looking to become the first 70-goal scorer in the NHL since Alexander Moginly and Teemu Selanne accomplished the feat during the 1992-93 season.
Matthews will have two games left to try and accomplish the feat, as Toronto plays Florida on April 16 and Tampa Bay on April 17.