Toronto Maple Leafs’ Jake McCabe Leaves Game Against Flyers Following Injury
The Toronto Maple Leafs faced a setback during their game against the Philadelphia Flyers as defenseman Jake McCabe was unable to return to the ice. McCabe got into an altercation with Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway behind the play, responding to an earlier hit from Hathaway. The two exchanged shoves before McCabe escalated with a brief scuffle, prompting Hathaway to engage in a fight.
The altercation ended with McCabe hitting the ice, his head taking the brunt of the impact. The 31-year-old struggled to get up but eventually skated off under his own power just before the end of the first period. Both players received major penalties for fighting, with McCabe also serving a two-minute roughing penalty and Hathaway penalized for goaltender interference.
This incident marks McCabe’s second upper-body injury of the season. Earlier in the year, he missed five games after being struck in the head and neck by a puck during a matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 35 games this season, McCabe has contributed 11 points, including a goal scored in Toronto’s previous game against the Boston Bruins.
With McCabe sidelined, the Maple Leafs may turn to Conor Timmins to fill the vacancy on the blue line. Timmins, who has been edged out recently by Philippe Myers, has recorded seven points in 34 games this season and maintains a solid plus-six rating.
McCabe’s absence adds to the challenges for the Maple Leafs as they prepare to face the Flyers again in their next game. His recovery timeline remains uncertain, raising questions about how Toronto will manage its defensive rotation moving forward.
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