It appears the Toronto Maple Leafs will be losing another key forward to injury after their contest with the Montreal Canadiens. Already without captain Auston Matthews, forward Max Pacioretty suffered a lower-body injury in the first period, and did not return.
Following their 4-1 win, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berebue didn’t have much of an update on Pacioretty other than they’ll need further evaluations.
“We’ll have to see in a day or so what’s going on there with him,” Berube said. “That’s all I really have for that.”
Pacioretty was pushed from behind following a faceoff, forcing him to fall awkwardly. During the fall, he sort of catches himself on his left leg, before completely crumpling to the ice.
While on the ice, Pacioretty clearly reached for his left hamstring area and eventually skated off the ice under his own power while the play carried on around him.
Pacioretty didn’t put any weight on his left leg as he skated to the bench.
In seven shifts through the first period, Pacioretty didn’t record a point or shot on goal and was credited with 5:10 of ice time.
Pacioretty had played 12 games leading into the matchup with the Canadiens and scored a pair of goals and four assists for six total points.
A veteran of 17 NHL seasons, this is Pacioretty’s first year with the Maple Leafs. He’s played in 915 career games and scored 332 goals with 342 assists for 674 total points.
Lower-body injury have been a problem for Pacioretty over the last few seasons, with a lingering Achilles problem, but this new injury doesn’t appear to be a re-aggravation of that.
