TERRY KOSHAN
Toronto Sun
The Maple Leafs are going to have to get by without their most rugged defenceman.
Jake Muzzin won’t be available to play for the remainder of the qualifying series against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Leafs announced on Wednesday.
Muzzin was injured in Game 2 on Tuesday night when he fell head-first into the leg of Jackets forward Oliver Bjorkstrand.
Muzzin was taken off the ice on a stretcher and sent to a hospital. He was discharged several hours later.
Muzzin has returned to the Royal York hotel, where the Leafs are staying in the bubble, and will remain in quarantine. Upon recovery, Muzzin will rejoin his teammates.
The Leafs didn’t specify the injury, but Muzzin appeared to have hurt his neck or head on the play with less than two minutes remaining in Toronto’s 3-0 win.
Prior to falling into Bjorkstrand, Muzzin was cross-checked from behind by Pierre-Luc Dubois. No penalty was called by referees Gord Dwyer and Jean Hebert, and there will be no supplementary discipline from the NHL.
With Muzzin out, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe will turn to Martin Marincin or Rasmus Sandin to fill the lineup vacancy.
Marincin took the warmup prior to Game 2 and was a healthy scratch.
The best-of-five series with the Jackets is tied 1-1, with Game 3 at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday at 8 p.m.
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