For the second straight game, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have to stave off elimination without Auston Matthews in the lineup. On Thursday morning, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe ruled Matthews out for Game 6 against the Boston Bruins.
Matthews, the NHL's leading goal-scorer in the 2023-24 season, left in the middle of Game 4 and has not returned to game action since. Matthews was able to take the ice prior to Toronto's morning skate on Thursday, but he left before organized drills with his teammates.
Keefe met with reporters the following morning skate and revealed that Matthews is officially out for Thursday night's Game 6, according to Sportsnet.
The Maple Leafs were able to keep their season alive without Matthews in Game 5. Toronto found a way to grind out a 2-1 overtime win in Boston to force a Game 6 at Scotiabank Arena. In his first start of the series, goaltender Joseph Woll made 27 saves, including some season-saving stops early in overtime.
Matthew Knies wound up as the hero, scoring 2:26 into overtime to extend the series. The Maple Leafs will need more contributions from Knies and the rest of the lineup if they want to force a Game 7 and give Matthews another chance to return.
