Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews day to day with upper body injury, away vs. Boston Bruins

Toronto maple leaves captain Auston Matthews is struggling with an upper body injury and will not be available for Tuesday’s match against the Boston Bruins.

Matthews played in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to the Minnesota Wildwith an assist in 22:12 minutes of ice time.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube revealed after Tuesday’s skate day that Matthews is playing through a lingering injury.

“Everyone just has to do their job there,” Berube said of playing without Matthews. “I don’t think you focus on, ‘Oh, Auston’s not playing, so what are we going to do?’ We have a good team, good players. People will look a little differently in situations, lines, things like that. They are capable guys, good players.

“You just have to go play.”

The 27-year-old forward has spent the season at center on a line with Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies. Max Domi moved up to Matthews’ spot on that line in the gameday skate.

The second line of Max Pacioretty, John Tavares and William Nylander remained untouched, while Pontus Holmberg worked centrally on a third line with Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson. Steven Lorentz, David Kampf and Ryan Reaves formed the fourth line.

“We have guys who need to step up,” Domi said. “Auston is such a big part of our team, but that’s the way it goes. You’re not going to have your full lineup for all 82 (games).”

“He can play all over the lineup,” Marner said of Domi. “Very elusive, very fast… makes a lot of great plays, very responsible with the puck.”

Anthony Stolarz worked the home net during the session and suggested he would make a second straight start for Toronto.

Matthews has five goals and 11 points in 13 games this season. He led the NHL with 69 goals last season and scored 107 points in 81 games.

He has played in all 82 games in a season just once in his career: as a rookie in 2016-17.

The first overall pick in the 2016 draft has 373 goals and 660 points in 575 career games. He is the highest-paid player in the league this season, with a cap hit of $13.25 million in the first of a four-year extension signed in 2023.

The Maple Leafs are 6-5-2 this season and sit third in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins are right behind them with a 6-6-1 record.

“Big test against a good team,” Domi said. “We owe it to them.”