Elliotte Friedman reveals real reason Auston Matthews is not playing

The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing elimination tonight as they play the Boston Bruins in game five, down three games to one. Auston Matthews is out of the lineup supposedly due to illness, but NHL insider Elliotte Friedman believes that isn't the whole story.

ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan was the first to report that Matthews would miss the game tonight. Oddly enough, she stated that she believes that he is missing due to something more significant than just an illness.




Clearly, her position is a popular one as NHL insider Elliotte Friedman echoed her words on Sportsnet ahead of the game. Given how well connected Friedman is and who reputable he is, this seems to be more than sufficient evidence to suggest that Matthews is dealing with multiple ailments at the same time.



Should the Leafs lose tonight, we will likely hear the real reason why Matthews could not go as it would be their last game of the season. We will likely hear from Matthews himself if that were to happen. The team is still very much alive though, so we will just have to see how the rest of the series plays out.

Source: HockeyPatrol
Friedman finally reveals the truth about Auston Matthews' injury