OK, Matthews not feeling great and Ryan O’Reilly having a “timeline” is significant. Welcome back to where the Leafs were in January, minus Pierre Engvall. The Leafs shouldn’t rush anyone back to the lineup when the Leafs hold a five point advantage over the Lightning in the standings and really have nothing to lose but potentially a first round home ice advantage anyway. It’s not 100% load management, but it’s about as close as you can get. That’s why with a week with a game on Tuesday and the Leafs not playing again until Saturday, I’d consider giving Auston the game off against New Jersey as well as O’Reilly to make sure whatever is ailing him as a chance to heal too. What I like about the late part of the season is there is that renewed interest in experimentation and the Leafs have already started with their 11F/7D lineup. Injuries are also going to be unfortunate and they are always going to happen, but they can also provide opportunities. [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brass-ass-podcast/message