After missing the last six games, Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews is back.
Matthews, who has been sidelined since Dec. 9 after he collided with teammate Morgan Rielly, was on the ice Saturday morning for the Leafs' morning skate. Coach Mike Babcock confirmed to reporters that Matthews will play Saturday night against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, saying Matthews is "ready to go, so he's going."
Mike Babcock said the Leafs and their medical staff discussed holding Matthews out an extra game with the break ahead, but added: "They’ve gone way beyond probably what you could’ve done to give him all the time to be healthy. He’s ready to go so he’s going."
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) December 23, 2017
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Matthews said he was experiencing "normal concussion symptoms" during his absence, in which the Maple Leafs went just 2-4.
“Just normal concussion symptoms I guess, don’t need to go any farther than that,” Matthews said on Friday. “I think just later on after the Pittsburgh [game], just colliding with Morgan, later on that night and into the next day I wasn’t feeling very well, went through all the return to play [tests] and all the protocols and everything and obviously they take it pretty seriously.
"They deemed me obviously out, so I went through all that stuff and I feel great now.”
The 20-year-old has scored 13 goals and recorded 26 points in 26 games so far this season.