Sheldon Keefe, Maple Leafs 'hopeful' that Auston Matthews will play in Game 5 (2024)

What could be the Maple Leafs’ last practice of the season didn’t feature the team’s best player.

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And what could be the Leafs’ last game of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs might not feature Auston Matthews, either.

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Though Matthews’ status for Game 5 in the best-of-seven against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday at TD Garden — a must-win for Toronto, down 3-1 in the series — is to be determined, the Leafs had little choice but to prepare on Monday as though Matthews won’t play.

The superstar centre continues to battle an illness, one that forced him out of Game 4 after the second period and caused him to miss a morning skate and a practice last week.

The plan was for Matthews to travel to Boston with the team on Monday afternoon.

“We’re hopeful that he’s available and feeling good and back to himself,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said after the on-ice workout at the Ford Performance Centre. “But we’ve played well with guys out in the past. We started the series without Willie (Nylander) and had to deal with that, and in the regular season, had the same kind of thing. We’ll see what (Tuesday) brings.”

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Considering the Bruins have had enough about questions regarding their recent first-round failures, including an upset last spring at the hands of the Florida Panthers, the Leafs’ success without Matthews in the past (a record of 35-19-2) probably is moot.

There’s motivation on the Boston side to finish the Leafs off, no matter who is in the Toronto lineup, to avoid returning to Scotiabank Arena for Game 6 on Thursday.

The Leafs’ chances of extending the series, obviously, would take a hit with Matthews out, and that’s taking into account that if the 26-year-old does play, we know it won’t be at 100%.

No one else in the Leafs’ core, whether it’s Mitch Marner or Nylander (admittedly in just one game) or captain John Tavares has demonstrated the ability in this series to take over a game like Matthews did in Game 2.

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How can the Leafs use it as a rallying cry if Matthews does not play?

“It’s not ideal to be without Auston Matthews,” Tavares said. “You’re talking about one of the best players in the world. But there is tremendous depth, talent and character on this team and it’s a great opportunity for all of us to step up, which is already necessary.

“Go out there, stick together, believe in one another and in what we’re doing and keep fighting.”

Facing elimination, Keefe doesn’t have many options as far as moving players in and out of the lineup.

With Matthews absent, Max Domi centred a line with Tyler Bertuzzi and Marner on the wings at practice.

The second line had Tavares between Matthew Knies and Nylander, and the third featured Pontus Holmberg centring Nick Robertson and Calle Jarnkrok.

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On the fourth line, David Kampf centred Connor Dewar and Ryan Reaves.

It’s not easy to say who might come out if Matthews gets the green light. Any one of Dewar, Robertson or Reaves could be dropped.

At the least, getting Nylander off the third line is key. It hasn’t worked offensively with Holmberg as his centre and there is no reason to believe it would in Game 5.

On the blue line, Timothy Liljegren was back in the top six after he was scratched for Game 4, paired again with Joel Edmundson, with TJ Brodie on the outside again.

The top power-play unit featured Marner, Tavares, Nylander, Domi and Morgan Rielly. The second unit had Bertuzzi, Robertson, Jarnkrok, Liljegren and Jake McCabe.

Matthews or not, the Leafs have to finally get it right on the power play. At 7.1% (1-for-14), Toronto was third-last with a man advantage through playoffs games on Sunday.

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“In Games 2 and 3, I thought there was a lot to like about the power play, except for the fact that it never got over the line,” Keefe said. “Generated lots of good looks, pucks bouncing around the crease and we’re not able to connect on it.

“Sometimes the puck won’t go in, but you still have to make sure you’re generating positive momentum for the team. That’s what we did in Games 2 and 3.”

All the while, the Leafs will try to remind themselves that they don’t need to worry about beating the Bruins three games in a row to win the series.

For now, a single victory is required.

“There’s only one game on the schedule right now,” said Keefe, who is unlikely to get another one as Leafs coach if Toronto loses. “Let’s keep the focus on that and earn the next one.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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