TORONTO -- Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul tried to do his part to help his team stay in the playoff race by returning from a lower-body injury on Saturday night.
Unfortunately for Lupul and the Maple Leafs, he reaggravated his injury during Toronto’s 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets and his status for the future is unknown.
Lupul’s injury, on top of the strained MCL starting goalie Jonathan Bernier suffered on Thursday night against Boston, serves to pile on the depressing reality in Toronto that the Maple Leafs are likely going to miss the playoffs after making their first appearance in seven seasons last year.
Lupul is third on the Maple Leafs in goals with 22 and sixth on the team in points with 44 in 69 games. He’s been able to stay mostly healthy this season and helped the Leafs get off to a hot start, but like most everything else for Toronto of late, his production has cooled with three goals and two assists in his past nine games.
Toronto has three games left and trail Columbus by one point with the Blue Jackets having five games to play.