Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews to Play G7 vs. Bruins After Injury; Samsonov to Start
May 4, 2024
Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews has been cleared to play in Saturday's Game 7 matchup against the Boston Bruins after missing the last two games, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.
The Maple Leafs are also starting goaltender Ilya Samsonov for Game 7 after Joseph Woll sustained an injury during his Game 6 start, the team announced. Woll had started each of the last three games for Toronto.
Matthews sustained an injury at some point during Game 4 while playing through illness, Kaplan added.
The Athletic's Chris Johnston initially reported that Matthews was "a good bet to return" for Saturday contest.
Johnston and Jonas Siegel previously reported for The Athletic that Matthews suffered an injury on a hit in Game 4 while also battling an illness.
The Leafs have won two straight games without Matthews to extend the series, but the return of the NHL's leading goalscorer could improve Toronto's chances of advancing to the second round.
Matthews previously recorded three points, including the third-period game-winner, in the Maple Leafs' 3-2 Game 2 victory in Boston.
Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said after morning practice that Matthews' status was "undetermined" for Saturday night's game, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox.
There are indications the decision as to whether he will play is at least closer than it was in Games 5 and 6. Matthews rejoined his teammates at for a Saturday morning skate for the first time since leaving Game 4, and did not stay late for extra work, per TSN's Mark Masters and The Hockey News' David Alter.
That skate only lasted 15 minutes, The Athletic's Jonas Siegel noted.
Matthews then arrived with his teammates to the game at TD Garden, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Matthews led the NHL with 69 goals, including a league-best 51 at even strength, in 81 games during the regular season.
His absence isn't the first time the Leafs have been missing a member of their offensive core during this series. William Nylander missed the first three games of the series, meaning the Leafs have not yet played a full playoff game with all of their stars available this season.
Toronto will hope that can change with Matthews' potential return tonight. The Leafs are looking to advance to the next round for the second year in a row after six straight years of disappointing early exits.
The Bruins will meanwhile need to brace for the potential return of Matthews as they hope to avoid repeating last year's upset by the Florida Panthers. A loss Saturday night would make Boston the first team in NHL history to blow a 3-1 series lead in consecutive playoffs, per ESPN's Kristen Shilton.