There was a bit of gamesmanship at the morning skate sessions ahead of Game 7 Saturday between the Bruins and Maple Leafs.
The status of Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, who led the NHL in goal scoring in the regular season with 69, has been a question hanging over the series since he left Game 4 in the third period. Matthews, whose injury or ailment has not been disclosed, missed Games 5 and 6, and Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe did not give a definitive answer when asked if Matthews would play Saturday.
Instead, after Matthews joined the team on the ice for the morning skate, Keefe was coy.
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“As of right now, we’re proceeding as we’ve been,” Keefe said, according to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. Keefe also said Matthews was “progressing.”
The Leafs did all they could this morning to keep some mystery about their Game 7 lineup — namely, whether Auston Matthews plays.
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) May 4, 2024
•They dressed all the forwards in one colour
•They didn’t run lines
•They kept the skate to 15 minutes — at which point, Matthews left
For the second consecutive season, the Bruins have blown a 3-1 lead in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after falling 2-1 in Game 6.
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery isn’t worried about a repeat of last season; he’s worried about the play of his team.
“Right now, we’re not happy with our game. We’re going to get ready for Game 7,” Montgomery said.
Boston will need more out of key players like David Pastrnak, who has gone consecutive games without a goal despite taking a team-high four shots on Thursday.
“Your best players need to come through with some big-time plays and big-time moments,” Montgomery said. “I think Marchand has done that in the series. Pasta needs to step up.”
Here’s your preview.
When: Saturday, 8 p.m.
Where: TD Garden, Boston
TV, radio: ABC, WBZ-FM 98.5
Line: Boston -140. O/U: 5.5.
MAPLE LEAFS
Season record: 49-29-10. vs. spread: 35-53. Over/under: 46-39, 3 pushes
Last 10 games: 3-6-1. vs. spread: 3-7. Over/under: 5-4, 1 push
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BRUINS
Season record: 50-23-15. vs. spread: 42-46. Over/under: 38-48, 2 pushes
Last 10 games: 4-6-0. vs. spread: 4-6. Over/under: 2-7, 1 push
TEAM STATISTICS
Goals scored: Toronto 298, Boston 263
Goals allowed: Toronto 261, Boston 221
Power play: Toronto 23.9%, Boston 22.2%
Penalty minutes: Toronto 815, Boston 780
Penalty kill: Toronto 76.9%, Boston 82.5%
Faceoffs won: Toronto 53.4%, Boston 49.5%
Stat of the day: The Bruins are 15-15 in Game 7s, including 14-10 at home.
Notes: Only one other team in NHL history – the original Winnipeg Jets – has been pushed to Game 7 after surrendering a 3-1 lead in two consecutive series. The Bruins, though, are the first to have those series occur in consecutive years after their Presidents’ Trophy run ended abruptly against the Panthers a season ago. ... “We’re not living in the past. We’re not living in the future, either. We’re living in the present,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said after Toronto’s 2-1 win on Thursday. ... Boston managed a single shot in the first period – its second straight “unacceptable” start – and drew just one power play on Thursday. ... William Nylander scored both Toronto goals and Morgan Rielly assisted on both, while Joseph Woll (22 saves) had a shutout until Boston’s Morgan Geekie tallied with 0.1 seconds left. ... “He’s a heck of a game-breaker,” Leafs captain John Tavares said of Nylander. “He gets the puck on his stick, he can make things happen any time. Two elite finishes. Came at a great time.” ... Should Toronto win, this would mark the fourth straight postseason in which a team overcame a 3-1 series deficit to advance. ... “In my mind, we just played two Game 7s,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said.
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Eli Cloutier can be reached at eli.cloutier@globe.com. Follow him @iamelicloutier.