Head coach Sheldon Keefe says the team is ‘hopeful’ Matthews will be in the lineup at TD Garden, but the group is clearly preparing for a scenario where he misses out
Whether the Maple Leafs sniper is on the ice with Toronto facing elimination is another massive question mark in a series that’s already featured plenty of lineup secrecy and intrigue.
The Leafs certainly looked like a group preparing to put their season on the line minus the NHL’s leading goal-scorer in 2023-24. “I was there,” Nylander said of Matthews. “It’s not fun having issues right now. Hopefully, he’s healthy. Whenever he’s ready, he’s ready.” But it’s a steep hill in the playoffs minus one of the game’s best for a team that’s scored just seven times in 12 periods and is a miserable 1-for-14 on the power play.“Special teams and goaltending are two areas that we have to be better in,” said Keefe, whose team would host a potential Game 6 on Thursday. “They’ve had the edge in those areas in the series and that’s tough to overcome.”
“Didn’t seem to be too big a moment for him,” Keefe said of Woll, who won Game 4 in Florida before the Panthers eliminated Toronto in Game 5. “Just like the other night, I thought he went in and was just calm and did a good job for us. Sammy’s done well in the series. He’s bounced back at times.
Series Toronto Team Keefe Matthews Boston Leafs Ilya Samsonov Danton Heinen Tyler Bertuzzi
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