The Toronto Maple Leafs got a devastating break on Tuesday night. They lost captain Auston Matthews to a lower-body injury following a hit from Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov midway through the second period.
Zadorov hammered Matthews into the boards with a check from behind. While Auston Matthews got up on his own, he eventually went to the Maple Leafs dressing room and did not return.
Here’s a look at the hit as shown on TSN’s official X account:
Auston Matthews went to the Leafs dressing room after taking this hit from Zadorov pic.twitter.com/MxVL6cyPNH
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 12, 2025
There’s no word on the extent of the injury at the moment. Hopefully, the hit looked a lot worse than it really was. But the fact of the matter is that Zadorov took a cheap shot on Matthews. The Bruins’ defenseman purposely hit Matthews from behind. Whether Zadorov intended to injure Matthews is something up for the Department of Player Safety to determine.
Be that as it may, Zadorov deserves a suspension for the hit. It was a blatant hit from behind, potentially endangering Matthews. Now, the official word from the Maple Leafs is that Matthews sustained a lower-body injury.
Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (lower body) and goaltender Anthony Stolarz (upper body) will not return to tonight’s game.
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) November 12, 2025
If it’s indeed a lower-body ailment, it might be something Matthews could recover from relatively quickly. But in the meantime, the situation does not minimize the horrifying injury scare for the Maple Leafs.
Suspension of Zadorov won’t do Maple Leafs any justice
While a suspension would certainly be justified against Zadorov, it won’t do Maple Leafs fans much justice if Matthews is out. Zadorov would miss a couple of games at most, while the Leafs could go without Matthews for an extended period.
Nevertheless, a suspension would help put the Bruins on notice. Zadorov’s antics have gotten out of hand despite reprisals from the Leafs on the ice. Most importantly, a suspension sets a precedent, potentially deterring further inappropriate conduct from the Bruins’ towering defenseman.
It remains to be seen whether the league chooses to take any supplemental discipline. In all likelihood, the league will take a look at the play. Zadorov may even get a hearing. But the likeliest outcome will be a fine.
Unless the league deems there was malice involved in the play, the most that Zadorov stands to face is a slap on the wrist and a punch to his pocketbook. At the very least, the cheap shot on Matthews sparked a turnaround in the Leafs’ game. They nearly pulled off the comeback, turning a stinker into less of one.