Music: {allcanada} LEAFS' BOZAK HAVING MRI; KESSEL LEAVES PRACTICE EARLY

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

{allcanada} LEAFS' BOZAK HAVING MRI; KESSEL LEAVES PRACTICE EARLY

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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle wasn't giving specifics about Tyler Bozak's upper-body injury suffered Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks, but said that the team's No. 1 centre will have an MRI to determine its severity.

Bozak left the bench and went down the tunnel early in the second period, returned to play a handful of shifts and then did play in the third. When Bozak was in the game in the second, he assisted on Phil Kessel's power play goal. He took just three more shifts after that, including one that lasted only 13 seconds.

Bozak missed 12 games earlier this season with a hamstring injury.

The news didn't get better for the team on Wednesday after Kessel left practice early with what Carlyle described as a 'tweak' and added that he, "wasn't feeling well in one area of his body." Carlyle was unsure if Kessel would be available on Thursday when the Leafs take on the Dallas Stars. "He just told me needed to leave the ice surface," he told reporters.

The Leafs are already without centre Dave Bolland (severed tendon in ankle), winger Joffrey Lupul (groin) and defenceman Cody Franson (lower body), though Franson told reporters he's good to go on Thursday. Centre Nazem Kadri missed Tuesday's game against the Sharks because of a death in the family.

The club also announced Wednesday that forward Jerred Smithson was being placed on waivers.

The Leafs signed Smithson to a contract for the remainder of the 2013-14 NHL season last month. He's been held pointless in 13 games this season with a minus-4.

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