The injury bug continues to hit the Toronto Maple Leafs where it hurts the most, with head coach Craig Berube announcing that Jake McCabe will miss his second straight game after taking a puck to the back of the head on Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“He’s just not feeling right,” Berube told reporters after Wednesday morning’s skate ahead of their tilt against the Nashville Predators. “Not feeling good enough to play, so, he will not play tonight.
Fresh off of signing a five-year contract extension in October, McCabe has quickly established himself as one of the most important pieces on the Maple Leafs’ defensive corps. He eats a ton of minutes on the penalty kill, he’s one of if not the most physical player on the team, and he’s established himself as a leader both in the dressing room and on the ice, never shy to stick up for a teammate if the circumstance calls for it.
McCabe was the victim of a blocked shot that caught him in the area of his right ear on the back of his head near the end of the second period against the Lightning and did not return. While Berube originally brushed off concerns that he would miss any time, the defenceman hasn’t improved as much as the team hoped and they ultimately decided that giving him extra time to rest was the better call.
Berube was impressed with his team’s play without McCabe on Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks but said there’s still things to work on.
“Our first period was really good, I thought, second period we got really sloppy with our play and our identity, I guess. I thought the penalty kill was really good in the game (without McCabe),” Berube continued. “For the most part, I thought we defended pretty well outside of the second period. But the second period wasn’t so much about defending, it was turning pucks over.”
Defenceman Philippe Myers stepped into the lineup in favour of McCabe on Monday night and had highs and lows, giving the puck away on what would be Chicago’s only goal of the game, but then assisting on the empty net goal that iced the game for the Maple Leafs.
As for when McCabe is expected back, Berube says that it’s entirely up to the player.
“I’m a positive guy, so yeah,” Berube said with a laugh. “Listen, it’s just how he feels. So, hopefully he’s feeling better. This guy is a warrior, he’ll play if he can. So I’m hoping he’ll be back.”
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