Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews leaves Game 4 vs. Bruins with illness

Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward Auston Matthews did not join the team as they came out for the third period in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Boston Bruins.

After the game, which the Bruins won 3-1, giving them a 3-1 series lead over the Maple Leafs, Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said Matthews’ absence “is all related to the illness he’s dealing with,” adding that the team doctor pulled him from the game.

The team also pulled netminder Ilya Samsonov, who gave up three goals in the first two periods, giving Joseph Woll his first taste of postseason action in 2024.

Boston will have a chance to clinch the series next Tuesday at home. If the Bruins advance, it will be the fourth time since 2013 they’ve eliminated the Maple Leafs in a first-round series.

The 26-year-old Matthews has been a major factor for Toronto through the first three games of the series. The three-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner was the team’s best player in their 5-1 Game 1 loss last week, then followed with a three-point effort (one goal, two assists) in their 3-2 Game 2 win last Monday.

The absence of William Nylander through the first three games of the series, who was reportedly dealing with migraines, along with the struggles of Mitch Marner, has forced the 2022 Hart Trophy-winner to play at a level that surpasses what fans saw throughout the 2023-24 regular season.

Matthews had 69 goals and 38 assists for 107 points this past season, setting career highs in goals and points and, as mentioned earlier, securing his third goal-scoring title of his career.

Through eight NHL seasons, Matthews has 368 goals and 281 assists for 649 points in 562 career games. In 54 career playoff games, he has 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points.