Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Provides helper in loss
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Matthews recorded an assist, three shots on goal and six hits in Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Bruins in Game 7.
Matthews missed Games 5 and 6 with an undisclosed injury, and he was able to play just 17:35 in Game 7. The 26-year-old contributed a helper on William Nylander's tally in the third period, but the Maple Leafs held that lead for just 1:21. Matthews ended the playoffs with four points, 20 shots on net, 25 hits and a plus-2 rating over five appearances. His four-year, $53 million contract extension, which he signed in August of 2023, kicks in next season.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Good to play in Game 7
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Matthews (illness) will draw into the lineup for Game 7 versus the Bruins on Saturday, per Jonas Siegel of The Athletic.
Matthews missed the last two games due to an undisclosed injury, according to Emily Kaplan of ESPN, after exiting Game 4 due to an illness. The 26-year-old forward has a goal, three points and 17 shots in four playoff outings this year. Matthews was immensely important to the Leafs' offense during the regular season, providing 69 goals and 107 points across 81 appearances. He should see time on the top power-play unit even though he will start Saturday's contest alongside Pontus Holmberg and Calle Jarnkrok at even strength.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Skating Saturday
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Matthews (illness) skated at practice, though his status remains unclear for Saturday's Game 7 against the Bruins, Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com reports.
It's the first time Matthews has practiced since he left Game 4 with an illness. He has missed the last two games of the series. Getting Matthews back would be a massive boost for the Leafs in Game 7, though it appears he'll remain a game-time decision for now.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Remains in doubt for Game 7
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Matthews (illness) skated Friday but is still questionable heading into Game 7 against the Bruins on Saturday. Coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters, "There's been progress...but no determination on his availability," per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.
Matthews' availability almost certainly won't be confirmed until closer to puck drop Saturday, so fantasy players will likely have to take a wait-and-see approach. Despite not having the world-class center in the lineup, Toronto has managed to win back-to-back games to force a Game 7. If cleared to play, Matthews figures to unseat Max Domi on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Not playing Thursday
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Matthews (illness) has been ruled out of the lineup for Thursda's Game 6 versus Boston, per Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun.
Matthews was on the ice Thursday for 30 minutes before the morning skate, but he did not participate during regular practice. The superstar center was pulled from action between the second and third periods in Game 4 on Saturday, and he was unable to play in Game 5 on Tuesday. Matthews had a goal and two assists in Game 2, but he has not had a point in any of the three other games in the series. The hope is he will be good to go for Game 7 if Toronto can extend the series with a win Thursday.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Not expected to play in Game 5
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Matthews (illness) is not expected to play in Game 5 versus the Bruins on Tuesday, Emily Kaplan of ESPN reports.
Matthews had limited participation in Tuesday's morning skate after making an early exit from Game 4. The Maple Leafs will be forced to face elimination without the league's top goal scorer in 2023-24. Look for Max Domi and John Tavares to see larger roles due to Matthews being unavailable.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Awaiting medical clearance
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Matthews (illness) will be a game-time decision for Game 5 against the Bruins on Tuesday. Coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters, "We'll see how the rest of the day goes," per David Alter of The Hockey News.
Matthews didn't stay on the ice long during the team's game-day skate, raising doubts regarding his availability. Still, if the 26-year-old California native can get the all-clear from the team doctors, he should immediately reclaim both his top-line and No. 1 power-play roles. By Matthews' standards, he has struggled offensively of late with just one goal in his last six outings.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Traveling with team
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Matthews (illness) will join the Maple Leafs when they travel to Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday but remains questionable after head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters, "We're hopeful he's available and feeling good and back to himself," per ESPN's Kristen Shilton.
Matthews has scored just one goal in his last six contests despite having racked up 34 shots on net and adding two assists over that stretch. Without the world-class center at practice Tuesday, Toronto shifted Max Domi to center in addition to slotting him into Matthews' spot on the No. 1 power-play unit. If Matthews can get even close to 100 percent, he should reclaim both those roles heading into Tuesday's must-win game for Toronto.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Not practicing Monday
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Matthews (illness), who was pulled from Game 4 against the Bruins on Saturday, was not in attendance for Monday's practice session, Joshua Kloke of The Athletic reports.
Matthews has produced points in just one of his last six appearances, though he racked up one goal and two helpers in that contest. The 26-year-old center's absence shouldn't come as a significant surprise considering he is trying to recover from a seemingly long-term illness that he tried to push through in Game 4. Without Matthews in the lineup, John Tavares could be given the first-line center role while Max Domi would likely move up to the No. 1 power-play unit. At this point, Matthews should be considered questionable ahead of Game 5 on Tuesday.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Pulled from game due to illness
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Matthews was pulled from Saturday's Game 4 due to the illness he's been dealing with in recent days, Joshua Kloke of The Athletic reports.
Matthews didn't play in the third period, and head coach Sheldon Keefe explained that the Maple Leafs' doctors pulled the world-class center from the contest. The 26-year-old Matthews will have an extra day to recover before Tuesday's must-win Game 5 in Boston.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Exits Game 4
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Matthews (undisclosed) won't return to Saturday's Game 4 versus the Bruins.
Matthews reportedly was ill during Game 3 on Wednesday, per Mark Masters of TSN, but it's unclear if his exit from Game 4 is related. Matthews should be considered day-to-day ahead of Tuesday's Game 5, pending an update from the Maple Leafs.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Three points in Game 2
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Matthews tallied a goal and added two assists in Monday's 3-2 win over the Bruins in Game 2.
Matthews assisted on Max Domi's goal midway through the first period before adding a second helper on John Tavares' power-play marker in the second. Matthews would then tally the eventual game-winner in the third, beating Linus Ullmark on a breakaway to put Toronto ahead 3-2 and even the series 1-1. It's an encouraging effort from Matthews and for the Leafs after the 26-year-old center was held off the scoresheet in Game 1. Matthews posted a league-high 69 goals and 107 points in 81 regular-season games.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Can't find 70th goal
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Matthews was held without a point despite a game-high 12 shots on net in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Lightning.
Neither team had anything to play for in the standings, but Matthews needed only one goal to become the ninth player in NHL history with 70 in a season, so his Leafs teammates fed him the puck at every opportunity. The closest he came to lighting the lamp was when he rocketed a shot off the post behind Matt Tomkins in the second period. Matthews instead had to settle for a franchise record 69 goals in 81 games, and his 107 points were a career high as well as the fourth-highest total in Toronto history behind Doug Gilmour (127 in 1992-93 and 111 in 1993-94) and Darryl Sittler (117 in 1977-78).
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Gets goal 69 to tie Super Mario
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Matthews scored a power-play goal Saturday in a 5-4 overtime loss to Detroit.
The goal extended his goal streak to eight games (10 goals) and his point streak to 14 games (14 goals, 11 assists). Matthews became the first player to score 69 goals in a season since the great Mario Lemieux did it in 1995-96 (70 games). Matthews has 107 points this season, which also sets a new career high. He had 106 in 2021-22. The Leafs finish the season with two road games in the state of Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday, so the 70-goal mark is in his crosshairs.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Seven-game goal streak
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Matthews scored two goals Thursday in a 6-5 loss to New Jersey.
Matthews extended his goal streak to seven games and nine goals -- his point streak was also exteneded to 13 games and 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) with goals 67 and 68 of the season. Matthews has three games remaining, but he may not appear in all of them with the Leafs' already being locked into a playoff spot. Yes, he's looking to hit the 70-goal mark, but remember the Leafs sat Mitchell Marner last year when he had a real shot at 100 points. There are no guarantees, and the postseason is the priority.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: First active NHLer to get 66 goals
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Matthews scored a goal and added an assist Tuesday in a 5-2 victory over the Devils.
Matthews' marker was his 66th of the season, and it extended his goal streak to six games (seven goals). He's the first active NHL player to reach that mark, topping Alex Ovechkin, who had 65 goals in 2007-08. Matthews also became the first player to score at least 66 goals since Mario Lemieux collected 69 in 1995-96.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Adds two more points
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Matthews notched a goal and an assist in Monday's 3-2 overtime win over the Penguins.
Matthews put the Leafs ahead 2-1 with a power-play goal 1:22 into the third period, beating Alex Nedeljkovic with a slapshot off the faceoff, before adding an assist on Jake McCabe's game-winner in overtime. Matthews has scored at least once in each of his last five games. He's up to 65 goals on the year, just the 13th player in NHL history to reach that mark in a season and the first since Alex Ovechkin in 2007.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Cracks 100 points for season
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Matthews scored a goal Saturday in a 4-2 win over Montreal.
He made it 2-0 early in the second on a wraparound that banked in off Habs defender David Savard's skate. It was Matthews' league-leading 64th goal of the season, and it gave him 100 points for the second time in his career after he had 60 goals and 106 points last campaign. Matthews also matched Leafs' greats Darryl Sittler and Doug Gilmour as the only Toronto players to have two 100-point seasons. Matthews' 64 goals equals Connor McDavid's total from 2022-23, which was the most since Alex Ovechkin scored 65 in 2007-08. Matthews has supplied nine goals and nine assists during his 10-game point spree. The Leafs have six more games before the season's end, and anything is possible -- including 70 goals -- given Matthews' current pace.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Rips home 63rd goal
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Matthews scored a power-play goal in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Lightning.
The 26-year-old superstar blasted a one-timer past Andrei Vasilevskiy with exactly one minute left in the first period to tie the game at 1-1, but the rest of the night belonged to Tampa. Toronto has seven games left on its schedule, and Matthews is seven goals away from 70 -- a plateau no NHLer has reached in over three decades. Considering that he's bulged twine eight times in his last eight contests, Matthews has a very real chance of getting there.
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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Two goals to set career high
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Matthews scored two goals and added an assist in Monday's 6-4 win over the Panthers.
Matthews extended Toronto's lead to 2-0 late in the opening period, pushing a T.J. Brodie feed past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 61st goal of the season, a new career high. Matthews would add an assist on a Tyler Bertuzzi marker in the second before scoring his 62nd goal with an empty-netter. The 26-year-old center has seven goals and 16 points in his last eight contests. Matthews is up to 98 points through 73 games this season as he looks to surpass the 100-point threshold for the second time in his eight-year NHL career.
