When a slim glimmer of hope remained that the Toronto Maple Leafs could get back into contention late last month, Joffrey Lupul decided he couldn't wait any longer to return from injury. He considered it "do-or-die time" and rushed back.
The result was just two points in six ineffective games before the organizational decision was made to rest Lupul. He has missed three more games since as the struggling Leafs understandably take a wait-and-see-and-wait-some-more approach to his nagging lower-body injury.
"It was just obviously the situation differs when it's kind of that desperation playoff time," Lupul said Wednesday. "When the losses started to pile up a little bit and it became obvious we weren't going to the playoffs, we decided with the training staff and the coaches it was best just to shut it down for a couple weeks and try and get it closer to 100 per cent, not go out there and put myself at risk or take ice time from someone who's working hard to go out there and play."
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