BOSTON — If the Toronto Maple Leafs are to finish their comeback and stun the Boston Bruins in their very own barn Saturday, it seems they’ll have achieve this with out their finest participant.
Sure, Auston Matthews arrived at TD Backyard on Might the Fourth sporting a Star Wars: A New Hope T-shirt.
Sure, he participated in a full (no-contact) morning skate along with his teammates, and he’s making progress from his thriller ailment(s).
However the sense in Leafland is that Toronto’s MVP will miss a 3rd consecutive elimination recreation Saturday.
“As of proper now, we’re continuing as we’ve been,” coach Sheldon Keefe mentioned of his Recreation 7 lineup.
Formally, Matthews’ standing is up within the air, however the tone across the group doesn’t counsel 34 will drop into the scene to avoid wasting the day with a lightsaber blazing.
“Good to see him on the market working via what he’s working via,” Nick Robertson mentioned.
“Brings a terrific vibe to our staff, so nice having him on the market,” added Mitch Marner, whose personal well being was in query late within the common season.
“I’m positive it’s very powerful… Getting requested 1,000 instances a day the way you’re doing most likely by a bunch of individuals is annoying, too. Clearly desires to be on the market. He’s a hell of a competitor. You see in each stage that he’s been at. So, he desires to be on the market for positive. However we’ll see.”
Matthews was not made obtainable to reporters.
The Maple Leafs are 3-0 this season when he doesn’t play.
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Bruins feeling the warmth
Unable to unravel Joseph Woll or crack a dedicated Toronto defence, the house staff has squandered its first two probabilities to finish this sequence and is a horrendous 0-6 in its previous six close-out alternatives.
They blew a 3-1 sequence lead within the first spherical to the Florida Panthers simply final spring.
“It is a fully new 12 months,” defenceman Brandon Carlo argued. “I believe you [media] guys are bringing that up an excessive amount of.”
Following a nervous-looking efficiency at house in Recreation 5, the Bruins held a critical staff assembly to regulate their mindset.
“Quite a lot of issues we wanted to listen to, wanted to see — and we’ll be higher from it,” Charlie McAvoy mentioned, after the Bruins have been unable to stomp the throat. “It was about wanting within the mirror.
“Not solely are you in opposition to your opponent, however you’re in opposition to human nature too. And all that stuff occurs between the ears. That’s on us to be a mature group right here, to understand the place we’re. To remain within the second and to remain collectively.”
In the meantime, Ryan Reaves is taking pleasure in Toronto’s capability to plant the Bruins’ seed of doubt in Recreation 5, then water it in Recreation 6.
“Seed’s rising. We gotta get a pair flowers on that factor tonight,” Reaves mentioned after morning skate.
“For positive,” he senses the size of the sequence taking a psychological toll on Boston. “You gotta come again and play a Recreation 7 — you bought to be pissed off with that. I believe the way in which we’ve accomplished it, it’s obtained to be irritating them somewhat bit. Most likely making them doubt somewhat bit over there. And now our confidence is rising, so that they’re gonna come out hungry. Yeah, we obtained to do the very same.”
‘Pasta must step up’
Boston’s MVP, David Pastrnak, has but to have a signature recreation on this sequence, and was referred to as out by coach Jim Montgomery after Recreation 6 because of this.
“I don’t suppose we’re shadowing him or something like that. However with a participant like that, who places the puck within the web at will, you bought to know when he’s on the ice, gotta know the place he’s,” Reaves says of the Leafs’ plan to starch Pasta.
“Our consciousness has gone up somewhat bit. However I don’t suppose we’re actually chasing him across the ice. We’re undoubtedly enjoying bodily in opposition to him, attempting to decelerate his pace, and make him make faster performs than he desires to.”
The confident Jeremy Swayman is betting on a Pastrnak breakout: “A boatload of confidence. There’s little question in my thoughts. Pasta, each man on this locker room goes to tug their finish of the rope. And that’s what’s going to be so particular is, when these guys do their job to the most effective of their talents, they offer max effort. And that’s what I count on from my teammates. That’s what they count on from me. And that’s what makes us such a particular group.
Gregor’s ‘sudden’ debut
Noah Gregor says his entrance to the sequence Thursday was “somewhat sudden” after 15 days of wholesome scratches.
It was not till after Recreation 6’s morning skate that he noticed his identify on the whiteboard, the place Reaves’s had been for the primary 5 video games.
With the bodily tone already set, Keefe pulled the speedy fourth-liner apart earlier than his first-ever NHL playoff recreation.
The message: “Play with some tempo. Play with some physicality. And produce some vitality for us.”
Gregor referred to as Mother and Dad with the large information — “They’re my largest supporters, so that they have been pumped to see me in,” he smiles — then shook the nerves and delivered constructive shifts.
“The playoffs are a unique animal. You’re coming right into a high-paced recreation, a variety of depth, and an elimination recreation at that,” Gregor says. “However I believed I dealt with it effectively.”
A wholesome scratch, Reaves nonetheless threw on a hoodie and stood within the dressing-room lineup for kilos and pump-up vibes as the fellows in skates took the ice.
Sometimes, scratches throw on a go well with and head to the press field at the moment, or busy themselves with a solo exercise.
Reaves says he all the time does this when he’s a playoff scratch. Generally within the common season, too.
“I prefer to be across the boys. It’s a part of what I do is carry vitality,” Reaves explains. “You’re not gonna win with 20 guys; you gotta win with 28 guys. Some guys are in some nights, any person’s gonna be out. All people’s obtained to remain constructive, stick with the staff, and do what they will.
“If you happen to’re not enjoying, carry vitality. You bought to fireside the boys up and do no matter you may to assist. I’m right here for the lengthy haul, not for a short while.”
One-Timers: Matthews was named a finalist for the Woman Byng Trophy… Bobby McMann (decrease physique) participated in his first full staff skate since getting injured. He’s progressing effectively however received’t be an possibility till Spherical 2…. Boston’s Danton Heinen is a game-time resolution…. Marner on Toronto’s 1-for-20 power-play: “It’s somewhat out of kinds.”… One in all these golf equipment will finish a stretch of consecutive Recreation 7 defeats: Boston is 0-3 for the reason that 2019 Stanley Cup Ultimate (0-2 at house), whereas Toronto is 0-5 for the reason that 2013 Convention Quarterfinals (0-3 on highway, all at Boston)…. The Bruins and Leafs are the primary franchises in NHL historical past to require a Recreation 7 in not less than 4 consecutive head-to-head playoff sequence.
