The Toronto Maple Leafs were able to avoid elimination for one game, defeating the Boston Bruins 2-1 in Game 5 of their first-round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The series is now shifting back to Toronto for Game 6, as the Maple Leafs will look to push the series to a seventh game.
Facing elimination again, the Maple Leafs will unfortunately be without their star center Auston Matthews. Matthew has been ruled out for Game 6 on Thursday night because of what the team is deeming a “lingering” illness, per Kristen Shilton of ESPN.
Matthews was pulled off the ice ahead of the third period in Game 4 by doctors because of the illness. He did not play at all in Game 5 and will now be missing his second consecutive game. As coach Sheldon Keefe said, they will be using a similar blueprint tonight to try and pick up a win while overcoming the absence of their star player.
“It’s a bit of the human nature piece; you recognize everyone has to be better,” Keefe said of the Leafs performing well without Matthews. “It’s more the confidence our team has and how we’ve responded when players have been out. You’ve got to find a way to win a game … I think that piece is important. We have confidence there, we have trust in the group, and if anything, it just shows the strength of the group and not looking to others, but just doing your part.”
One of the changes that were made with Matthews’ absence was Max Domi being elevated to the first line. He was excellent on faceoffs, winning 85.7 percent of them and recording an assist in the game.
Taking Domi’s spot on the second line was William Nylander. It was a jump in expectations for Nylander, who was being brought along after missing the first three games of the series himself.
“Maybe instead of relying on him, we’re desperate to play good, because one of our best players is out of the lineup,” left wing Nick Robertson said. “When you realize you don’t have a near 70-goal scorer in the lineup, we’ve got to find a way to play well.”
Matthews hasn’t taken part in any team activities. He did skate on his own over the last three days, which included a 30-minute session before the team skate on Thursday morning.
Ultimately, it is up to the doctors to clear Matthews to play. That clearance wasn’t granted and he will miss a second game as a result. Should the Maple Leafs be able to force a Game 7, it will be interesting to see if they will get their star back in the lineup or not.
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