The decisive seventh game between Boston and Toronto will take place on Sunday night. The Bruins, who did not use two imaginary match points, intend to correct their previous hesitations at the TD Garden, but Toronto is in a position where it has almost risen from the dead and is on a horse against the opponent. And that’s even without star player Auston Matthews, whose status is still uncertain ahead of Game 7.
Matthews’ start in the last game of the first round of the Eastern Conference is the subject of lively speculation. The regular-season leading scorer retired during Game 4 of the series, with it unclear why doctors pulled him from the game. He skated for a few minutes before the fifth game of the series, he also skated before the sixth game, but left the ice before practice.
Even coach Sheldon Keefe wasn’t clear about what Matthews would do during his final interview before Saturday’s game. “There’s been progress, he skated again today, but it’s not determined if he’ll be available for the game,” the Maple Leafs skipper said.
If Matthews were to start, it would be a huge help for Toronto. On the other hand, the Maple Leafs, even without the author of 69 goals in the regular season, were able to level the series with Boston from 1:3 to 3:3. And whether Matthews starts or not, they’re going to give it their all at TD Garden.
“We’re in a position where if we win we’re alive, if we lose we’re dead. That’s something we’ve faced in the last two games, and I think we’ve done well under those circumstances,” defenseman Morgan Rielly said of the two wins without Matthews in the lineup.
Captain John Tavares agrees with this, and is grateful for the opportunity to fight for advancement to the next round. “We are back in the series and we have an opportunity to advance further. It’s a great opportunity. That’s what we’re playing for and what it’s all about,” he said.
Boston wants to tighten up
The home team will be in a slightly different position on Sunday night. They have already twice missed the opportunity to end the first round series and suddenly face the threat of elimination, which was unimaginable at the beginning of the week.
Coach Jim Montgomery wants significantly better performances from his charges. He refuses to allow a repeat of games five and six, when Toronto outshot Boston in the first periods. He sees one of the keys to progress in the opening twenty minutes. After all, if the Bruins get caught early in the game, it will be a lot easier for them to play than when they face the onslaught and shooting superiority of the opponent, which will erode their confidence for the rest of the game.
That’s why he wants to adapt to Toronto’s game and, above all, to toughen up in personal battles. Make the game uncomfortable for the hockey players of the Canadian team from the opening minutes. “I think they simplified their game, but I also think they went to the body more than we did,” Montgomery said. “It’s an area of our game that we need to improve.”
In addition, he emphasized to his charges that there is a need to take more care of Toronto’s main supports. “We have to focus more on Nylander, who played relaxed in the last game. We also need our best players to play relaxed. In the last two matches, we didn’t create enough attacking actions and didn’t win enough individual duels. We couldn’t push into their goal area, while they were winning fights at our goal,” annoys Montgomery, who especially wants David Pastrňák to confirm that he is a hockey player with a difference.
The Boston players no longer consider the absence of the opponent’s main star as their advantage, rather the opposite. Charlie Coyle even thinks that Toronto’s hockey players have become more depressed because of Matthews’ injury and are mentally fighting for him as well. “When your star falls, it’s up to you to try harder, which they did,” Coyle noted. “Now we have to do something similar. We have to find a way to push into the goal more, create screens, take away the goalie’s vision and get some pucks through,” he added.
The seventh game between Boston and Toronto starts on Sunday night at two o’clock CET.
Share on Facebook
Share on Google+
Share on Twitter
