Auston Matthews Missing as Maple Leafs Hit the Ice for Practice Before Game 5

As the Maple Leafs head into Game 5 against the Ottawa Senators back at Scotiabank Arena, they are at least going to have John Tavares in the lineup, as the forward was seen at practice after some questions regarding if he's gonna be okay after an elbow to the head.

But one person who wasn't appearing at practice, at least when the team took the ice is Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs captain was noticeably absent in a shocking turn of events.

However, it was revealed then that Matthews was simply off due to having a rest day, which is understandable given how much he played in Game 4.

Fans can rest easy knowing that Matthews is not dealing with anything serious, and the fact that he dealt with two injuries earlier this season made the news all the more terrifying.

If the Maple Leafs were without Matthews, it could make Game 5 almost a moot point, as Toronto would be heavy underdogs going up against a hungry and motivated Senators team.

Knowing that he needs to pick things up, hopefully this rest day will give the captain a chance to gather his focus, heal up any lingering pains, and get ready to make an impact during the elimination game.

Matthews so far this postseason has been fantastic, registering five points so far in the four games, but really needs his goal-scoring to pick it up. One goal isn't very Matthews-like, and the fact that he and Mitch Marner only have two combined when they had 60 in the regular season.

But thankfully for fans and the Maple Leafs, it seems that Matthews will just need an extra day to rest, and it's well deserved.

Just go out there and finish things off this time around, please?