The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing elimination heading into Game 5 of their first-round series against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. After splitting the first two games in Boston, Toronto was unable to take advantage of having home-ice advantage the rest of the way in the series, immediately giving it back.
Making matters even worse for the Maple Leafs is that their star, Auston Matthews, does not sound like he is going to play. Matthews has been dealing with an illness for over a week and is reportedly unlikely to play according to Chris Johnston and Jonas Seigel of The Athletic.
That would be a brutal blow for a Toronto team that needs all hands on deck to stave off elimination. Matthews was able to play in Game 3 but the illness he’s dealing with was bad enough that team doctors pulled him off the ice ahead of the third period in Game 4.
Getting sick was followed by Matthews’s best game of the NHL Playoffs in Game 2. He tallied three points, including the game-winning goal to even the series at one game apiece. As shared by Kristen Shilton of ESPN, should Matthews be sidelined, coach Sheldon Keefe plans to move Maxi Domi into the first line and on the power play unit in his place. William Nylander would then take Domi’s spot in the second line.
“He’s working through things to try to make himself available to play. No determination at this time,” Keefe said. “We’ll see how the rest of the day goes.”
That was from the Maple Leafs’ optional skate earlier this morning. He also went through some light drill work with assistant coaches before exiting ahead of the full session beginning. Keefe also added that it will be the doctors determining if Matthews will be able to get on the ice for Game 5.
Alas, based on the update provided by Johnston and Seigel, Matthews seems to be trending in the wrong direction.
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