'It's Gotten Worse Every Time He Gets Out On The Ice': Maple Leafs' Sheldon Keefe Delivers Troublesome Update on Auston Matthews' Health Following Game 4 Departure

Matthews left in the third period of the Leafs' 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a couple of days before they hit the road to take on the Boston Bruins in a do-or-die Game 5. Judging by Auston Matthews' health, they will need every second of the break.

Matthews did not take part in the third period of the Maple Leafs' 3-1 loss to the Bruins in Game 4 of their best-of-seven series. After the game, Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said Matthews has been dealing with an illness for a while, but he went into further detail about how it has hindered his star forward's performance.

"For whatever reason, it's not one of those run-of-the-mill, everyday type of illnesses that sort of come and go. It's lingered,"  Keefe said. "The effects have lingered and it's gotten worse every time he gets out on the ice asserting himself. We've just got to manage that and give him the time that he needs."

Matthews hasn't looked the same since he was the driving force behind the team's 3-2 win against the Bruins in Game 2. In that contest, he had the game-winning goal and assisted on the other two Toronto goals. Since that time, Matthews has stayed off the ice for morning skates and a full team practice to prioritize rest.

But if Matthews isn't improving, you wonder how effective he can be for Game 5 against the Bruins on Tuesday evening.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS32NBrLbw0[/embed]

Matthews hasn't recorded a point outside of Game 2. The Leafs' offense has sputtered in their series, accounting for just seven goals over the four-game span.

The Maple Leafs did not hold a practice on Sunday. The only players who took the ice were those who did not play on Saturday. The club will practice on Monday morning before taking on the Bruins in Game 5. Toronto trails the best-of-seven series 3-1.

Related

'We're Just Trying to Change Things': Why Sheldon Keefe Pulled Ilya Samsonov in Favour of Joseph Woll in Game 4 Loss to the Bruins

'Nothing Wrong With Our Effort Level': Sheldon Keefe Defends Sluggish Maple Leafs Start in Game 4 Loss Against Bruins

'The Doctor Pulled Him': Why Auston Matthews Had to Leave Before the Third Period of the Maple Leafs' Game 4 Loss to the Bruins

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