Jake Muzzin is okay but out for the rest of the series

The Maple Leafs will be without Jake Muzzin for the remainder of the series.

After sustaining a scary injury in yesterday’s 3-0 win over the Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin will be out for the rest of the series.

Muzzin was taken to a hospital following his injury, so even if he was available to play, he needs to quarantine for a minimum of four days with negative tests before he can return to the team.

With the series locked at 1-1, Muzzin will be a major loss for the Leafs. Muzzin was third on the team in average ice time, clocking in at over 21 minutes per game. The Leafs will need someone like Justin Holl or Travis Dermott to step into those type of minutes for the remainder of the series.

Muzzin has been one of the Leafs’ most important players.

Since the Leafs traded for him last season, Muzzin has been a huge part of their defensive group. He’s brought some much needed stability to the team as a whole. The 31-year old is one of the league’s best stay at home defenders, who has the experience to go along with his skill. He also knows what it takes to win a Stanley Cup, doing so in 2014 with the Kings.

The Leafs will now need to move a defenseman from the active roster into the lineup for the remainder of the series. The defensemen on the roster include Timothy Liljegren, Martin Marincin, Rasmus Sandin and Calle Rosen.

The Leafs made a statement in Tuesday’s win over the Blue Jackets. After a lackluster showing in Game 1, they came out firing on all cylinders in Game 2. Auston Matthews led the way with two points, with goals also coming from John Tavares and Morgan Reilly.