Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul did not take to the ice Friday morning with his club after suffering what is being called an upper-body injury Thursday night.
He is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will not be traveling with the Leafs to New Jersey, where the team is scheduled to play its next game against the Devils on Saturday night.
A concussion has not been ruled out.
Lupul was knocked out of Thursday’s 5-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers after taking a jarring hit in the first period.
While digging the puck out of the corner in the Leafs’ end, Lupul was sandwiched between Philadelphia’s Jay Rosehill and Adam Hall (watch above). He immediately skated off the ice and went to the dressing room with just over seven minutes remaining in the period.
“It’s tough, (Lupul) is an important piece to this puzzle,” linemate Nazem Kadri said after the one-hour practice. “Definitely for us, we’ve had some chemistry and that’s going to be missed but we’ve got a couple guys back in the lineup.
“(Lupul) has missed a good portion of the season so far, and we’ve found a way for other guys to step up and take initiative and really get the job done.”
The red-hot Lupul, who assisted on the first Toronto goal and has 14 points since returning from a 25-game absence because of a broken forearm, is a significant loss to the Leafs’ lineup.
“From what I was told today was just a maintenance day for him,” Kadri said. “Sometimes just staying away from the rink makes you feel a little bit better.”
Clarke MacArthur played on Lupul’s line with Kadri and Nikolai Kulemin during the morning skate at the MasterCard Centre.
“He does such a great job of coming back and being in shape and pucks are going in for him and then you get banged up again,” MacArthur said. “So hopefully it’s minor.”
Entering Friday’s games, Toronto was tied with the Ottawa Senators for fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings with 44 points. The Senators have a game in hand.
The Maple Leafs have an important stretch of games coming up as they strive to make their first playoff appearance since 2004. Toronto has a home-and-home series on tap with the New York Rangers next week followed by a home game against Montreal.
MacArthur and forward Leo Komarov could be back in action Saturday. Both players have been out of the lineup of late with undisclosed upper-body injuries.
Maple Leafs defenceman Ryan O’Byrne also practised Friday. He was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday but did not dress against the Flyers.
(with files from CP)
