TORONTO -- Auston Matthews remains questionable for the Toronto Maple Leafs when their season is on the line in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Boston on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, NESN, SNP, SNO, SNE, TVAS, CBC).
The forward was briefly on the ice for the morning skate Tuesday; he did not practice Monday after not playing in the third period of a 3-1 loss in Game 4 at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday because of an illness. Matthews led the NHL with 69 goals in 81 regular-season games. He has three points (one goal, two assists) in four games in the series, all coming in Toronto’s 3-2 win in Game 2.
The Maple Leafs trail 3-1 in the best-of-7 series.
“His status is yet to be determined for tomorrow,” coach Sheldon Keefe said.
Toronto practiced Monday as though Matthews would not be available. Max Domi replaced Matthews on a line with left wing Tyler Bertuzzi and right wing Mitch Marner, and John Tavares played center between left wing Matthew Knies and right wing William Nylander.
“Of course we are hopeful that he is available and feeling good and back to himself,” Keefe said. “That’s what we are hopeful for, but we’ve played well without guys in the past. We started the series without William Nylander and had to deal with that and in the regular season, the same kind of things, but we will see what tomorrow brings.”
Matthews was also absent from practice Friday prior to Game 4. Connor Dewar, took his spot at that skate.
“It’s not ideal to be without Auston Matthews -- you are talking about one of the best players in the world,” said Tavares, the Maple Leafs captain. “But there is tremendous depth, talent and character on this team, and it’s a great opportunity for all of us to step up and raise our game, which is already needed and necessary.”
Faced with the potential of having their season end Tuesday and uncertainty surrounding their best player, Domi insisted the team is feeling positive heading into Game 5.
“The boys were super positive, super jumpy, were a hungry group,” Domi said. “It was a great 45-minute little shift out there. The boys are feeling good.
“Confident as we can be. Just have to win a game. Starts with a good first shift from every guy and just go from there.”
Keefe declined to confirm who would start in goal for Game 5. Ilya Samsonov, who has started each of the first four games, was pulled in Game 4 after the second period, having allowed three goals on 17 shots. Joseph Woll stopped all five shots he faced in the third period.
Toronto is 35-19-2 all-time without Matthews in the lineup. In the one game he missed this season, it defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-0 on Dec. 16.
Nylander, who said he felt good in his series debut in Game 4 after missing the first three games with an undisclosed injury, is confident the Maple Leafs will force a Game 6, even if Matthews is not available.
“Throughout the year, guys have been out of the lineup, and I mean, I think we’ve rallied together as a team during those times,” Nylander said. “So, if that’s the case, then that’s what we will have to do.”
If Toronto is going to extend the series, it will need to find a way to score more consistently. Just once in its past 11 playoff games, dating back to Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2023 Eastern Conference First Round, has it scored more than two goals (Game 2, a 3-2 win against the Bruins). The Maple Leafs are 1-for-14 in the series on the power play (7.1 percent).
“It’s continuing to focus on what we can control, which was today’s practice, and talking through our adjustments and the things we want to do better or differently going into tomorrow’s game,” Keefe said. “In that sense, you prepare for it as you would any other game. There’s only one game on the schedule right now, so let’s keep the focus on that and earn the next one.”
