After taking Game 2 in TD Garden and heading home with a series split, the Maple Leafs had the opportunity to take care of business on home ice with Games 3 and 4. Their losing streak at Scotiabank Arena extended to six games last week, and they managed to score a combined three goals in both games, now down 3-1 in the series heading back to Boston.
Despite overcoming their first-round demons a year ago yesterday following their 2-1 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6, advancing them to the second round for the first time in the Matthews era and the first time for the franchise since 2004.
This is the third time these two teams have met each other in the opening round since 2018, with the Bruins getting the best of the Maple Leafs twice (2018 and 2019) in seven games. But this year, this team, the way they have played, it feels like the toughest of challenges for this group to overcome a 3-1 series deficit and come out victorious against Boston, even though this Bruins team choked a 3-1 series lead last year to Florida.
Could Toronto pull off the surprise and come back to win this series? Yes. Is it likely? Incredibly unlikely. But in 2018, when Toronto lost to Boston in seven games, they came back from a 3-1 series deficit to force Game 7 in TD Garden. We know how that went. Toronto held a 4-3 lead heading into the third period, and Boston scored four unanswered to win, but that was six years ago.
Tonight, it starts with one game at a time. If Toronto wins Game 5, they travel back home for Game 6. If they win Game 6, they travel to Boston for Game 7. And anything can happen in Game 7, even though Maple Leafs fans have nightmares about it.
Although the series win is critical, and it feels like a difficult task for this team to get done given the hole they’re in, we might be witnessing the end of the Matthews and Marner era in Toronto if they don’t get the job done tonight or Thursday night, if they win Game 5, or Saturday night, if they win Game 5 and 6. You can read more about the possible end of this era in tonight’s Game 5 preview here, by Arun Srinivasan.
Pregame details:
Toronto Maple Leafs’ lineup:
Tyler Bertuzzi – Max Domi – Mitch Marner
Matthew Knies – John Tavares – William Nylander
Nick Robertson – Pontus Holmberg – Calle Jarnkrok
Connor Dewar – David Kampf – Ryan Reaves
Morgan Rielly – Ilya Lyubushkin
Simon Benoit – Jake McCabe
Joel Edmundson – Timothy Liljegren
One lineup note: After leaving the game at the end of the second period in Game 4 and not returning, Auston Matthews’ status for Game 5 tonight is in question after reportedly battling an illness. According to Mark Masters, he was on the ice this morning, and there has been no confirmation whether or not he’ll suit up, according to Sheldon Keefe.
If Matthews slots into the lineup, the lines could look similar to the previous four games, with Connor Dewar a possible scratch like in Game 4. We’ll have to wait and see in warmups, but it might be a longshot for Toronto’s best player to be in the lineup in what could be the team’s last game this season.
Sheldon Keefe on Auston Matthews:
“He’s working through things to try to make himself available to play. No determination at this time.”
Who makes the call?
“It’s always the doctors call.”@TSN_Edge
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 30, 2024
Boston Bruins’ lineup:
Jake DeBrusk – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak
Brad Marchand – Charlie Coyle – Morgan Geekie
James van Riemsdyk – Trent Frederic – Danton Heinen
John Beecher – Jesper Boqvist – Pat Maroon
Mason Lohrei – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Carlo
Parker Wotherspoon – Kevin Shattenkirk
Projected goalies:
Joseph Woll (TOR) vs Linus Ullmark (BOS)
Broadcast:
Sportsnet, 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT
(Projected lineups from dailyfaceoff.com)
