Even though it is still early in the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs fanbase was shocked that their team entered Tuesday tied for last place in the Atlantic Division. Before their game against the St. Louis Blues, the Maple Leafs carried a five-game losing streak. The heat was on head coach Craig Berube, who received a vote of confidence from general manager Brad Treliving.
The Leafs did end their losing streak in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Blues, thanks to some heroics from William Nylander. As it turns out, the vibes were already high entering the contest.
Team captain and superstar Auston Matthews was spotted skating on the practice rink for the first time since suffering his lower body injury against the Boston Bruins on Nov. 11.
Auston Matthews is back on the ice for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury on November 11th 👀 pic.twitter.com/J08ZpwCyd5
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 18, 2025
Auston Matthews skates for first time since suffering lower body injury
Seeing the team captain and their best player return to the ice for practice is promising for all Leafs fans. But then, Treliving provided an update on Matthews during his press conference.
When asked about Matthews' status as he recovers from the injury, Treliving said that he is "coming along" and should be considered day-to-day moving forward. Treliving did rule out Matthews making his return for Thursday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, thus leaving the door open for Saturday's contest against the Montreal Canadiens.
Matthews suffered his injury in the aforementioned Bruins game, where he was hit from behind by defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Matthews stayed on the ice for a bit and went after Zadorov, but went to the locker room. Matthews was ruled out for the remainder of that game. The injury was controversial, as the Leafs felt Zadorov should have been penalized for hitting Matthews from behind into the board, but the on-ice officials didn't blow the whistle.
Not having Matthews in the lineup did hurt, as Toronto lost their next two games without their superstar. The team still scored goals, including three against the Los Angeles Kings and two against the Chicago Blackhawks. But not having Matthews in the lineup, on paper, hurt their chances.
This season, Matthews scored nine goals and recorded five assists for a total of 14 points through 17 games.
The Leafs not only brought an end to their dreadful losing streak, but there is promise that Matthews could return in the coming days. Now, it's only a matter of when.