2024-05-01 00:00:34
As if the task wasn’t complicated enough already Maple Leafs from Torontothey will have to avoid elimination without Austin Matthews for Game 5 of the series against Boston Bruins.
The Leafs will need three straight wins to get back into the series against Boston and avoid another early elimination in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
It is currently tied 1-1 after the first 40 minutes.
Toronto scored in the 6th minute of play through defender Jake McCabe.
A faceoff won by Max Domi in the offensive zone allowed Mitch Marner to speed the point to McCabe, whose sweeping throw Jeremy Swayman on the side of the stick.
After a difficult start to the game, Boston responded with just over six minutes left in the first period, and it was Trent Frederic who was there to equalize the scorers.
The pressure on Leafs defender Simon Benoit by his rival Jesper Boqvist led to a brilliant scoring chance that the local No. 11 was not going to miss.
Frederic’s shot was just the Bruins’ second on goal on goal. Joseph Woll.
Sustained offense was a rare commodity for Boston in the first half of the game. Jim Montgomery’s men had only seven shots after half an hour of play.
Boston got a scare in the second period when David Pastrnak made a mildly uncomfortable twist by blocking a shot from the lane attempted by Marner.
No. 88 trudged back to the bench and was briefly absent, but he only missed one appearance.
Matthews, who missed practice Monday, led the Leafs to their only win of the series with a three-point effort in Game 2 last Monday at TD Garden. It was shortly after this brilliant performance that the 26-year-old began to feel ill.
Max Domi took Matthew’s place in line with Tyler Bertuzzi and Mitch Marner. Domi also took Matthew’s spot on the first power play unit.
On Saturday, the team doctor asked Austin Matthews to leave Game 4 after the second period.
Swayman is 3-0 with a .956 efficiency rating, which ranks him 1st among goaltenders in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Formation des Maple Leafs
Bertuzzi – Domi – Marner
Knies – Tavares – Nylander
Robertson – Holmberg – Jarnkrok
Dewar – Kampf – Reaves
Rielly – Lyubushkin
Benoit – McCabe
Edmundson – Liljegren
Woll
Bruins lineups
Marchand – Coyle – Geekie
DeBrusk – Zacha – Pastrnak
Van Riemsdyk – Frederic – Heinen
Red-brown – Boqvist – Brazeau
Lohrei – McAvoy
Lindholm – Carlo
Grzelcyk – Wotherspoon
Swayman
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