The Boston Bruins have another chance to secure the series win in their first round matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Boston Bruins return to Scotiabank Arena on Thursday for Game 6 of their Eastern Conference First Round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Boston last won Game 4 in Toronto to take a 3-1 series lead home to TD Garden, but Matthew Knies' overtime winner in Game 5 on Tuesday extended the series.
Earlier in the series, each team's final lineup decisions were not disclosed until puck drop -- namely the injury status of Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander as well as the starting goalie for Boston -- but now all cards on the table.
Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed Matthews will miss Game 6. The American star who led the NHL with 69 goals this season exited Game 4 before the third period and missed Game 5 with what was originally labeled as an illness but has since led to speculation about what else could be holding him out.
"Obviously, tremendous player," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said to reporters in Toronto about Matthews. "Best goal-scorer in the league since he came in. Great player, but they played great without him last game."
Boston, meanwhile, will be without forward Danton Heinen in Game 6. The 28-year-old winger had missed some practices earlier this week for "maintenance" purposes, but managed to play in Game 5. However, Heinen did not participate in Thursday's morning skate and is day-to-day for undisclosed reasons. He will not play on Thursday.
As for who will be playing for the Bruins tonight, below is the reported line rushes out of Toronto:
Brad Marchand - Charlie Coyle - Morgan Geekie
Jake DeBrusk - Pavel Zacha - David Pastrnak
James van Riemsdyk - Trent Frederic - Justin Brazeau
Johnny Beecher - Jesper Boqvist - Pat Maroon
Jakub Lauko
Mason Lohrei - Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm - Brandon Carlo
Parker Wotherspoon - Kevin Shattenkirk
Derek Forbort - Matt Grzelcyk
Jeremy Swayman
Linus Ullmark
Michael DiPietro
Based on the morning skate lines, Lauko will remain the odd man out on the forward group with Beecher returning to the lineup in place of Heinen. On defense, Shattenkirk comes back in for Grzelcyk.
The key for Boston will be getting out to a better start than Game 5, in which they trailed 11-2 in shots after the first period. Neither Montgomery nor any of the Bruins players could -- or at least would -- point to why they struggled after putting up strong showings in Games 3 and 4, but the margin for error will be even slimmer on Thursday.
"What gives us confidence as a group is that we've won here twice already, so that opportunity in front of us is what gets us excited," Montgomery told reporters in Toronto. "We think about ourselves."
Puck drop will be shortly after 8 p.m. ET.
Other Links:
Boston Bruins Fail To Show Up In Game 5, Fall 2-1 In Overtime
How Bruins Can Flip Script From Last Year, End Series in Game 6