Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews has been sidelined by a “lingering illness” as Toronto stares down playoff elimination.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe provided an update on the star sniper’s status Sunday afternoon, some 14 hours after watching his team fall 3-1 to Boston in a disastrous home performance.
The Bruins now lead the Original Six matchup 3-1 and can close things out Tuesday at TD Garden. Game 6, if necessary, would be back in Toronto on Thursday.
Keefe said Matthews has been cut down by more than a “run-of-the-mill” illness, adding that the symptoms get worse when the 26-year-old asserts himself on the ice.
The 69-goal man willed Toronto to victory in Game 2 to even the best-of-seven series, but was clearly labouring in a 4-2 loss in Game 3 before being removed from the action Saturday.
The Leafs trailed the Bruins 3-1 in the opening round of the 2018 playoffs, but won two straight to force a Game 7 they would lose in Boston. Toronto also fell to its Atlantic Division rival in seven games in 2013 and 2019.