Matthews skated, according to the team his status for a do-or-die Game 7 on Saturday remains uncertain.
Matthews skated, according to the team his status for a do-or-die Game 7 on Saturday remains uncertain.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe says Auston Matthews skated at Ford Performance Centre on Friday and is "progressing" but didn't provide much in terms of any clarity over his star's status for a do-or-die Game 7 against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Saturday.
"There's progress," Keefe said before his team boarded a flight to Boston. 'But no determination on his availability (for Game 7)".
Matthews has missed Toronto's last two games against the Bruins. Facing elimination in both contests, the Maple Leafs defeated Boston in consecutive 2-1 games to force a deciding Game 7 on Saturday. The star player was instrumental in helping Toronto win 3-2 in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series. He scored the game-winner and assisted on the other two goals.
Matthews left Game 4 during the second intermission with what the Maple Leafs said was a lingering illness. However, according to multiple reports, its' believed Matthews is dealing with something beyond an illness an Toronto is trying to keep the secrecy of it due to it being the playoffs.
The Maple Leafs took a similar approach by choosing not to reveal what kept William Nylander out of the first three games of the series, despite reports that a migraine issue was believed to have started what kept the talented winger out of the lineup.
Nylander had his best game of the series at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday, while playing a tight defensive game to help force a deciding game in Boston on Saturday.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgOTfn9ke6Y[/embed]
Related
News from THN.com
NHL Announces 2024 Calder Trophy Finalists
NHL Playoffs Opinion: Why Has This Year's First Round Been Such a Dud?