The Toronto Maple Leafs&#8217; holiday break is over and they&#8217;ll return to action Friday night in Motown against the Detroit Red Wings. While defenceman <a href="https://x.com/dalter/status/1872693004412260830">Chris Tanev is a game-time decision</a>, the same can&#8217;t be said about captain Auston Matthews.
Matthews was absent at morning skate in Detroit, and is set to miss his 12th and 13th games of the season due to an upper-body injury, after head coach Craig Berube confirmed Matthews&#8217; status with David Alter of The Hockey News.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Craig Berube says Auston Matthews will not play today or tomorrow against Washington.
— David Alter (@dalter) <a href="https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1872689971238453373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
Matthews has recorded 11 goals and 23 points in his 24 games this year. Berube mentioned before the holiday break, the team is hopeful some rest can help their superstar return to the lineup, sooner than later. “I’m not a doctor. I can’t answer that question,” <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/maple-leafs-reflect-on-auston-matthews-absence-after-loss-to-islanders">Berube said post-game Dec.21</a> when asked for an update on Matthews. “I’m hoping here with the break coming up, he can get some relief, feel better, be ready to go, recharge. That’s all I can say about that.”
Tanev missed Monday&#8217;s action against the New York Islanders with a lower-body injury. He took warmups ahead of the game, but didn&#8217;t feel good enough to go. According to Alter, Tanev skated alongside Jake McCabe on the Leafs&#8217; second pair, with Conor Timmins appearing to be the odd man out on the back end.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Leafs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Leafs</a> lines during morning skate Dec. 27/24
Pacioretty-Tavares-Marner 
Knies-Holmberg-Nylander 
McMann-Domi-Robertson 
Lorentz-Kampf-Dewar 
Extra: Reaves
Rielly-Myers 
McCabe-Tanev 
OEL-Benoit 
Timmins<a href="https://twitter.com/BodogCA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BodogCA</a>
— David Alter (@dalter) <a href="https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1872683320771031109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
Pontus Holmberg takes Matthews&#8217; spot in the lineup, and appears set to start Friday&#8217;s game alongside Matthew Knies and William Nylander. Joseph Woll occupied the visitor&#8217;s net during the morning skate and appears set to make his 16th appearance of the season. <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/maple-leafs-call-up-matt-murray-send-dennis-hildeby-to-toronto-marlies">Matt Murray, who was recently recalled</a>, will back up Woll, and is the likely starter on Saturday when the Maple Leafs host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
Toronto is 1-1-0 against the Red Wings this season, with their most recent action Dec.14 when Detroit came out on top 4-2. This will be the first game for the Red Wings under new head coach Todd McLellan, who was <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/red-wings-fire-coach-derek-lalonde-todd-mclellan-named-replacement">named the 29th head coach in franchise history</a> on Thursday.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' holiday break is over and they'll return to action Friday night in Motown against the Detroit Red Wings. While defenceman <a href="https://x.com/dalter/status/1872693004412260830">Chris Tanev is a game-time decision</a>, the same can't be said about captain Auston Matthews.

Matthews was absent at morning skate in Detroit, and is set to miss his 12th and 13th games of the season due to an upper-body injury, after head coach Craig Berube confirmed Matthews' status with David Alter of The Hockey News.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Craig Berube says Auston Matthews will not play today or tomorrow against Washington.
— David Alter (@dalter) <a href="https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1872689971238453373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
Matthews has recorded 11 goals and 23 points in his 24 games this year. Berube mentioned before the holiday break, the team is hopeful some rest can help their superstar return to the lineup, sooner than later. “I’m not a doctor. I can’t answer that question,” <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/maple-leafs-reflect-on-auston-matthews-absence-after-loss-to-islanders">Berube said post-game Dec.21</a> when asked for an update on Matthews. “I’m hoping here with the break coming up, he can get some relief, feel better, be ready to go, recharge. That’s all I can say about that.”

Tanev missed Monday's action against the New York Islanders with a lower-body injury. He took warmups ahead of the game, but didn't feel good enough to go. According to Alter, Tanev skated alongside Jake McCabe on the Leafs' second pair, with Conor Timmins appearing to be the odd man out on the back end.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Leafs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Leafs</a> lines during morning skate Dec. 27/24
Pacioretty-Tavares-Marner
Knies-Holmberg-Nylander
McMann-Domi-Robertson
Lorentz-Kampf-Dewar
Extra: Reaves

Rielly-Myers
McCabe-Tanev
OEL-Benoit
Timmins<a href="https://twitter.com/BodogCA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BodogCA</a>

— David Alter (@dalter) <a href="https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1872683320771031109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
Pontus Holmberg takes Matthews' spot in the lineup, and appears set to start Friday's game alongside Matthew Knies and William Nylander. Joseph Woll occupied the visitor's net during the morning skate and appears set to make his 16th appearance of the season. <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/maple-leafs-call-up-matt-murray-send-dennis-hildeby-to-toronto-marlies">Matt Murray, who was recently recalled</a>, will back up Woll, and is the likely starter on Saturday when the Maple Leafs host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Toronto is 1-1-0 against the Red Wings this season, with their most recent action Dec.14 when Detroit came out on top 4-2. This will be the first game for the Red Wings under new head coach Todd McLellan, who was <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/red-wings-fire-coach-derek-lalonde-todd-mclellan-named-replacement">named the 29th head coach in franchise history</a> on Thursday.

Auston Matthews ruled out for at least next 2 games; Chris Tanev game-time decision vs. Red Wings

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