BOSTON -- Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Timothy Liljegren is expected to miss "significant time" with a lower-body injury suffered Thursday against the Boston Bruins, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe.
Liljegren needed assistance to the trainer's room and was favouring his left leg following a high-speed, first-period trip by Brad Marchand that sent him crashing hard into the end boards.
There was no penalty called on the play, so Keefe let the referee hear about it.
"He just didn't see the stick go in between his legs and can-opener him to make him go feet-first into the boards in the most dangerous area on the ice. He didn't see it," Keefe said.
Further medical assessment will be necessary back in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs are flying back to prepare for Saturday's home date versus the Buffalo Sabres.
The Leafs' thinning blue line is already operating without Jake McCabe, who suffered a groin injury last week in Dallas.
McCabe is doubtful for Saturday.
Liljegren should be ruled out, as Keefe said the injury did not look to be short-term.
"I mean, you never like to see something like that, obviously," Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews said.
"He is a really important player for our team and just never like seeing somebody like that go down."
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