Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies to face Jackets

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Three huge pieces of the Maple Leafs mystery team will return to Columbus Wednesday night.

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Auston Matthews and Matthew Nice, two-thirds of the front line, told reporters during the morning skate at Nationwide Arena that they will be in the lineup against the Blue Jackets as Toronto tries to reverse a 1-5-2 slump that has left it last in the Eastern Conference.

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Two-way center Nicolas Roy also returns, coming off the same game as Nice in Chicago on Nov. 15.

Matthews has been missing since Memorial Day. in Boston with a second “mystery” injury in as many seasons, this time a lower-body issue versus a suspected back ailment that prompted visit to a German clinic a year ago

There were mixed signals early in the week, with hints that Matthews would play in Columbus and then a workout as a healthy scratch with Nice (lower body) and Roy (upper body).

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It's possible that the Leafs wanted as little attention from the public at home as possible on Matthews, which is why they haven't interviewed him in the last couple of weeks.

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One of the biggest problems for the Leafs is that they can no longer win without their captain. That record was 20 games above .500 at one stage, ensuring they would never be eliminated from the playoff race. But after the Boston game, the score became alarming: 1-4-2 minus Matthews.

They haven't scored more than three goals in a game since he was injured, partly due to Nice's absence.

Rising the Leafs all-time rankings

Matthews was just starting to hit his stride before he was sent off, scoring four goals in five games heading into Boston. This tied him for fifth place in franchise history with departed right winger Mitch Marner with 741 points.

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“Today is a new day, a great opportunity for us to find a way out of adversity,” Matthews said.

Knies said he is in good form despite a nagging handicap that has sidelined him in the last three games. He is also hoping to score again, having failed to score in his last five games before the injury but with four assists.

Nice told reporters in Columbus that he battled an injury for much of the early season and was sidelined for several days.

“I feel great, a lot better. It sucks to watch. You just want to be there and help the guys,” Knies said.

The trio's return likely means a striker Dakota Joshua and Matias Macchelli will be the two regulars leaving the squad, although they haven't made much of an impact yet.

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There was another encouraging sign Wednesday when defenseman Brandon Carlo resumed skating. He has been out since Nov. 13, following an overtime home loss to Los Angeles, and was placed on injured reserve.

Shot-blocking defenseman Chris Tanev, however, remains on LTIR and has practiced sporadically since being pulled off the ice Nov. 1 in Philadelphia with a suspected head or neck injury.

The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, are hoping to become the first team since the 2014 Pittsburgh Penguins to beat the Leafs three times in the regular season before Thanksgiving week in the United States.

The home team got a boost when coach Dean Evason said frequent leaf-killer Zach Werenski – always a threat in a hurry – was cleared to play after being injured in their last game against Washington.

They will also have 2023 draft pick Luca Pinelli making his NHL debut, and his family and friends will travel from Stoney Creek, Ont., for the game.

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