The Maple Leafs, who entered Thursday's game against the New York Rangers with five forwards on injured reserve, probably will have at least a sixth in civvies for Saturday night's visit by Philadelphia.

Grinding forward Leo Komarov was ejected and assessed a five-minute match penalty for intent to injure with 62 seconds left in the first period for his elbow to the head of Rangers defenceman Ryan McDonagh, who was playing just his second game since returning from a four-game absence with a concussion.

Komarov, who plays with an edge, has never been suspended in his two-plus seasons in the NHL.

McDonagh surprisingly stayed on the bench for the final minute of the period rather than but wasn't on the bench to begin the second.

At the start of the season, the NHL placed independent concussion spotters in all 30 arenas that would determine players who might require further evaluation for a concussion after an obvious hit to the head or display of apparent symptoms.