"Hardly a devastating hit. Soft": Fans react as Auston Matthews exits game with injury after run-ins with Nikita Zadorov

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews suffered a lower-body injury during Tuesday's 5-3 loss against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.

Auston Matthews left the game in the second period after taking a hit from behind by Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov and did not return. The Leafs officially announced that Matthews would not return for the remainder of the game.

Here's how fans on X (formerly called Twitter) reacted to Auston Matthews' injury. One tweeted:

"Hardly a devastating hit. Soft."

Another chimed in:

"Technically he threw a little hissy at zadora in the corner first... Likely where he injured himself running into the big boy."

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"Thia looked like it might be a concussion but they are saying it’s lower body so if he has reaggravated the existing injury he might be out for a long time," a third fan wrote. "Matthews for sure has a chronic back or wrist injury the Leafs arent telling anyone. Why did he go Germany last year? It wasnt for nothing thats for sure," one X user opined. "Leafs even with Matthews so t make playoffs. Brad did a great job making team worse this offseason z bottom line sucks missing two wingers for the top lines . Etc leafs have no system just slow skating in circles . Berube and Brad should both fired," another wrote. "And no one there to defend the captain. Leafs are such a sorry team," another chimed in.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs also lost goaltender Anthony Stolraz due to an upper-body injury sustained during the matchup.

Auston Matthews suffers injury as Maple Leafs lost 5-3 to Bruins

On Tuesday, the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 at TD Garden.

Pavel Zacha opened the scoring for the Bruins, putting them ahead 1-0 on the power play at 4:27 of the opening period. Just over two minutes later, at 6:41, Steven Lorentz tied it 1-1 for the Maple Leafs with a shorthanded goal.

At 9:32, Hampus Lindholm increased the Bruins’ lead to 2-1 on the power play before Alex Steeves made it 3-1 for Boston at 17:23 before heading into the second period.

David Pastrnak gave the Bruins a 4-1 lead just 49 seconds into the second frame. Bobby McMann cut the deficit to 4-2 for the Leafs on the power play at 18:58 of the second before heading into the final period.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson made it 4-3 for the Leafs at 3:32 of the third before Pastrnak sealed the 5-3 win for the Bruins with his second goal of the game (power play) at 9:48.

Wayne Gretzky’s wife Janet responds to critics questioning his loyalty to Canada, Bobby Orr's support following 4 Nations drama

Edited by Abhishek Dilta