Worrisome Update Regarding Max Pacioretty Surfaces After Taking Puck to the Face

On Saturday night, Max Pacioretty helped the Maple Leafs secure a huge 7-3 win against his former team.

Of course, this was a fantastic comeback for the Leafs who were down by a score of 3-0 after the first period.

During the game, Pacioretty took a puck to the side of the face and it immediately sent him to the bench where he was clearly in a whole lot of pain.

Patches ended up finishing the game, however, some fans were concerned about his status tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Unfortunately, it seems like Pacioretty has given the Leafs some bad news this morning as he was not present for the morning skate.

There is no update on whether or not this is because he is not playing tonight or if he is simply taking the morning off to feel better.

When you take a puck to the head, there is a risk of feeling some concussion symptoms in the days following, so there is certainly some precaution at play here.

Having said that, if you are a Maple Leafs fan, you cannot help but be a bit concerned for Pacioretty given both his age and a similar occurrence to Jake McCabe earlier in the season.

Tonight is definitely a big game for the Maple Leafs as they are taking on a motivated Tampa Bay Lightning team that wants to improve its position in the Atlantic Division.

Meanwhile, the Leafs hold a three-point lead in the division and a win would allow them to hold the fort.

UPDATE: Max Pacioretty will not play tonight.