“Time to move on” “Made of glass”: NHL fans react as Toronto Maple Leafs place Max Pacioretty on IR

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Friday that they had placed forward Max Pacioretty on injured reserve. This move rules him out of today's game against the New York Rangers.

The team recalled defenseman Marshall Rifai from the AHL's Toronto Marlies.

"Maple Leafs F Max Pacioretty has been placed on IR. D Marshall Rifai has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies (AHL)," Leafs tweeted.

Pacioretty has struggled this season, recording five goals and eight assists in 37 games. He has just one assist in his last 13 games and has yet to score a power-play point. He was expected to add secondary scoring for the Maple Leafs but has not met expectations.

After the Maple Leafs tweeted, NHL fans reacted to the news. Some were frustrated with Pacioretty's frequent injuries.

“Patches made of glass,” one fan said.

“Time to move on from him,” another fan commented.

"The few times I've seen Pacioretty's name mentioned, I am reminded that he's a Leaf... all the rest of the time, it's like he's not even on the team. Even the few games he has played this season, he's been very forgettable... #LeafsForever," a fan tweeted.

Here are some more reactions from fans:

"Pacioretty should not play for the Leafs again. Absolutely MUST BE TRADED by next Friday," a fan wrote.

"Was always the risk with Pacioretty. Write him off and look for depth at the deadline please and thank you," another fan wrote.

"Leafs should get rid of max when he comes back from the injury list. Wanted him to succeed but he hasn’t been a factor," a fan mentioned.

Toronto Maple Leafs won their third game in Max Pacioretty's absence

The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins 5-4 in overtime on Tuesday, winning their third straight game without Max Pacioretty.

David Pastrnak scored 29 seconds into the game on a breakaway. Brad Marchand made it 2-0 with a power-play goal. Morgan Geekie extended Boston’s lead to 3-0 in the second period.

Morgan Rielly scored at 13:52 of the second to make it 3-1. Mitch Marner added a power-play goal early in the third. Nicholas Robertson tied it 3-3 at 6:40. Pastrnak put Boston ahead again, but Pontus Holmberg tied it with 46 seconds left.

Marner secured the win for the Maple Leafs in overtime with a breakaway goal off a pass from Auston Matthews.