With the Stanley Cup up and running, emotions are sure to flow on the ice. Take the example of Game 1 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators. In what was an eventful outing, the Maple Leafs took home the first victory of the tie, 6-2. However, there was no shortage of drama as Auston Matthews was at the very top of his opponents. He played a crucial role and even assisted a couple of goals to lead his team to victory. During the match, he was involved in a controversial moment that could prove to be costly for his team.

During the game, the Senators’ Ridly Greig almost crashed into the Leafs’ bench, and Matthews used the opportunity to vent his frustration. He grabbed his opponent’s stick and broke it as Greig was skating to his team’s bench. This incident caught the eyes of the hockey community and was widely talked about.

In the recent episode of the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Justin Cuthbert and Kyle Bukauskas sat down to discuss the Senators vs. Leafs game. As the topic of Matthews’ aggressive act caught the attention, Kyle went on to say, “I heard about this actually post-game, and to me, it just adds to the level of love that I have for this year. I am not surprised; we already know the Maple players don’t like him, and Greig has the unique ability to get on everyone’s case. The opposing players and fans cannot stand him. He’s one of those guys whom you love if he plays for you and you hate if he plays against you. By the way, the collision he had with Stolarz in the third period, Kevin and Kelly thought it was on purpose.”

Greig had an eventful game and also faced a two-minute minor as his cross-check landed in the head and neck area of Maple Leafs veteran forward John Tavares. Additionally, he also had a scuffle with Matthews and returned to his usual agitator style, inciting the Leafs players and fans. While Greig’s trick didn’t work this time around, Matthews would have to keep his composure if the Maple Leafs are to win the series. However, this isn’t the only concern for Matthews and the Maple Leafs. Ahead of the playoffs, he suffered a major injury scare.

Auston Matthews’ injury concerns revealed

Over the past few months, the captain of the Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews, has been struggling with an injury. While surgery was a natural option, Friedman thought otherwise and revealed the details of Matthews’ injury, which has been a persistent issue.

In the same episode, he explained, “The thing about Matthews was, there were a lot of issues earlier this year. One of the things I heard was surgery wouldn’t solve the problem; it was a muscle thing – at least for the one that he went to Germany for – and the hope was that it would heal and that he would be ready when it mattered, and I think the Maple Leafs are counting on that and that Matthews has properly tapered it for now.”

Despite this, Matthews has been one of the key players for the Maple Leafs this season. He has scored 33 goals and 45 assists and has led his team into the playoffs. However, the task isn’t done yet, and the Maple Leafs would bank on his experience to lift the Stanley Cup this year.