Disaster in Toronto: Auston Matthews injured after dirty hit from Radko Gudas

The heart and soul of the Toronto Maple Leafs went down hard against the Anaheim Ducks. The atmosphere inside the building instantly went flat.

Veteran defenseman Radko Gudas caught the superstar with a blatant knee-on-knee strike near the boards. It was an ugly, unnecessary play.

Matthews remained down on the ice for a heavily concerning amount of time. The athletic trainers practically sprinted from the bench to assess his leg.

He eventually managed to get to his feet but skated straight down the tunnel. He looked visibly shaken.

The officiating crew immediately assessed Gudas a five-minute major along with a game misconduct. There was absolutely no argument from the Anaheim bench.

This represents the ultimate nightmare scenario for this organization as the regular season grinds toward its conclusion. You can't replace your captain, and arguably your best player.

Gudas has built a lengthy resume of questionable decisions over his NHL career. The Department of Player Safety will certainly be reviewing the footage by morning.

For now, the Toronto medical staff is working behind closed doors to determine the severity of the damage.

The boys in the locker room must find a way to rally together. But tonight, the only thing that matters is the health of number 34.

The Maple Leafs have now confirmed that Matthews will not return tonight.

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