Maple Leafs lose Matthews for a month with shoulder injury

TORONTO — Auston Matthews knew things weren’t right as soon as he felt the contact.

Now the Toronto Maple Leafs will have to do without one of their star centres for at least four weeks after announcing the 21-year-old has been placed on injured reserve with a sore left shoulder.

“It’s frustrating,” Matthews said Monday. “There’s not much you can do. It sucks, but it’s part of the game.

“I’m going to work as hard as I can to get back as soon as possible.”

Matthews was hurt early in the second period of Saturday’s 3-2 comeback victory over Winnipeg when Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba delivered a shoulder-toshoulder check as the Leafs forward tried to cut in front of the net.

“I knew the guy was coming,” Matthews said. “[I was] trying to get a shot off, but you don’t really know what to expect because you’re so close to the goalie.

“He took body, which is what you’re supposed to do, and just caught me on a weird angle.”

Matthews, who won’t require surgery, immediately skated to the bench before heading to the Leafs’ locker-room.

Toronto trailed 2-0 after 40 minutes against Winnipeg at Scotiabank Arena, but rallied for the victory minus its best player. The Leafs hosted the Calgary Flames on Monday night.

Matthews, who this month became just the third player in NHL history to record seven straight multi-point games to start a season, had been held off the scoresheet in three consecutive outings plus a period before suffering the injury.