Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau was able to dodge a few bullets this season ahead of both his team’s games against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
On November 8th, Auston Matthews missed his first NHL game with an upper-body injury. The contest saw the Leafs host the Minnesota Wild, and although Minnesota appeared to have the advantage, Toronto managed to escape with a 4-2 victory.
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Fast-forward a month and a few days, and Auston Matthews is once again sidelined with an upper-body injury. And once again, it’s in a matchup against the Wild. Contrary to last game, tonight’s is taking place at the Xcel Energy Center.
Few teams have had the fortune of dodging Matthews in action, but having it happen twice is an extreme rarity. When asked about the superstar’s absence from the lineup, the Wild head coach provided the best response he could.
Through 26 games played, Matthews has recorded 13 goals and 13 assists in the 2017-18 campaign. The Wild recently lost goaltender Devan Dubnyk to injury, so at least the news slightly lightens the blow for tonight's meeting between the two teams.
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Leaf fans can only wait patiently until their superstar is back, but opposing coaches can breathe a sigh of relief in the meantime.
(H/T Kristen Shilton)
