Matthews, who is Maple Leafs captain, did not participate in a full morning skate prior to the game against the Sabres on Dec. 20 but scored and played 19:18. He took two hard hits in the game, one from Sabres forward Tage Thompson in the first period and a cross-check from defenseman Dennis Gilbert in the third period, though he finished the game.

Matthew Knies corralled a puck close to goal, turned to the net, fired a shot up high and then looked to the roof. The winger was on the ice late after the Toronto Maple Leafs’ practice Monday. Nearly every teammate had already departed.

T he Toronto Maple Leafs placed captain Auston Matthews on Injured Reserve ahead of their final game of the calendar year. The organization's PR team put out a series of transacti