Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe has provided an update on his star forward Auston Matthews.
Matthews did not come out for the third period in the Maple Leafs’ 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 4 on April 27. After the game, Keefe revealed Matthews was pulled from the game by the doctors, and on April 28, the coach gave an update on the status of the American forward.
Sheldon Keefe re: Auston Matthews’ health: Not much update there. Luckily, again, we’ve got a couple of days here and we thought the last couple of days would help us. It’s whatever reason, it’s not one of those run-of-the-mill, everyday- type of illnesses that sort of come and…
“For whatever reason, it’s not one of those run-of-the-mill, everyday- type of illnesses that sort of come and go. It’s lingered. The effects have lingered and it’s gotten worse every time he gets out on the ice asserting himself. We’ve just got to manage that and give him the time that he needs,” Keefe told the media, via David Alter.
Matthews played just 14:16 and had just one shot on goal before being pulled from the game due to the illness.
“It’s all related to the illness he’s been dealing with.”
Sheldon Keefe on Auston Matthews not returning to the game after the 2nd intermission.
“It’s all just it’s all related to the illness he’s been dealing with,” Keefe said after Game 4 on April 27. “Ultimately, he’s been giving us everything that he has here. Ultimately, the doctor pulled him.”
In the playoffs, Matthews has 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points.
Mitch Marner Explains the Situation on the Bench
During Toronto’s 3-1 loss to Boston on April 27, a clip went viral of William Nylander yelling at Marner on the bench. Marner then threw his gloves on the ground, visibly showing his frustration.
Frustration has started to set in for the Maple Leafs stars 😠
However, after the game, Marner explained the incident to the media and claimed he wasn’t frustrated. Instead, he says he was just trying to make sure everyone was on the same page.
“We’re grown men. We’re talking about plays out there that we want to make sure we’re all 100 percent on,” Marner said. “Know what we’re doing. We’re just a little off-page there. We’re not yelling at each other because we hate each other. We just want to all be on the same page to help each other out to try to get the best offensive chance.”
Marner scored the lone goal for Toronto in Game 4 as he played 22:19 and had 3 shots on goal.
Maple Leafs on the Road for do-or-die Game 5
Following Toronto losing to Boston 3-1 in Game 4, the Maple Leafs are now trailing in the series 3-1.
Toronto will go on the road to play the Bruins in Game 5 on April 30 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. The Maple Leafs need to win three straight games to eliminate Boston and advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Yet, the Maple Leafs have some questions in their lineup going into Game 5. Goalie Ilya Samsonov was pulled after the second period, but Keefe wouldn’t reveal who would be his team’s starter for a must-win Game 5.
“The reason for it is we’re just trying to change things. You get Joe involved. That’s really it. You’re trying to change the momentum,” Keefe told the media after Game 4 on April 27… “As per what we are doing going forward, we’ve got some time here to talk it through.”
Along with who starts in the net, a bigger question for Keefe and the Maple Leafs is the status of Matthews’ status for Game 5.
Comments
Maple Leafs Coach Gives Update on Auston Matthews After Leaving Game 4