Auston Matthews has been highly influential after returning to the Maple Leafs lineup (Credits: IMAGN)
Auston Matthews' second spell after returning from an upper-body injury has been better than his output at the start of the season. The Maple Leafs center now has 18 points in as many games this year, with seven of them coming in the last five, following his return.
Auston Matthews suffered a blow in the game against the Minnesota Wild in early November. He was sidelined for nine games and made a return during their clash against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 30. Before his comeback he had to take a five-day trip to Europe, visiting a doctor in Germany who he has had consultations with previously.
The 27-year-old has looked as healthy as possible in the five games thus far. But the gruesome scheduling of those games seems to be a big challenge. The Leafs played four games in six days, splitting the wins with losses during the stretch.
