TORONTO — Auston Matthews‘ status is “yet to be determined” for the Maple Leafs when they try to stave off elimination in Game 5 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against Boston on Tuesday.
Matthews has been battling an illness that he was able to play through in Game 3 and the first two periods of Game 4 on Saturday. Toronto’s team doctors ultimately pulled Matthews from the third period of Saturday’s 4-2 Leafs’ loss, which put the Leafs down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Toronto’s top center did not practice with the team Monday but was expected be on the trip to Boston. A decision will be made at some point before Game 5 whether Matthews is healthy enough to play.
“Of course, we’re hopeful that he’s available and feeling good and back to himself,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “That’s what we’re hopeful for. But we’ve played well with guys out in the past. We started the series without [William Nylander] and had to deal with that. But we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”
Matthews has one goal and three points in the series, including Toronto’s game winner in Game 2. The illness has kept Matthews from being a full participant in all but one of the Leafs’ on-ice sessions since then as they’ve tried to get him healed. Keefe said Sunday that the issue is how this sickness has “lingered” and becomes worse when Matthews exerts himself in a game.
Given that Matthews was unable to finish out Game 4, Toronto practiced Monday as if he wouldn’t be in the lineup. Max Domi took over Matthews’ spot centering the top line with Mitch Marner and Tyler Bertuzzi, while Nylander moved up to the second line with John Tavares and Matthew Knies. Domi also worked on the Leafs’ top power-play unit at practice, a special teams sore spot for Toronto in the series at just 1-for-11.
Matthews is coming off a tremendous regular season where he notched 69 goals and earned a third Rocket Richard Trophy in four years as the league’s top goal scorer. Though his postseason production has slowed, his absence would create a void and teammates are resigned to forging ahead without him if needed.
“It’s not ideal to be without Auston Matthews,” Tavares said. “You’re talking about one of the best players in the world. But there’s tremendous depth, talent and character on this team and it’s a great opportunity for all of us to step up, raise our game, which is already needed and necessary.”
Keefe slotted Domi onto the top line when Matthews exited Saturday and the third period was the Leafs’ best of the night (although they already trailed Boston 3-0 going into that frame). It was an “easy decision” for Keefe to put Domi back there and allow the veteran to try to ignite more offense from linemate Marner (who has just assists in the series).
“[Domi’s] played center for us a lot this season,” Keefe said. “He’s done well with Mitch, he’s done well when we’ve had guys out, whether it was Auston or John, when they’ve been out Max has played in that spot and he’s done a nice job for us. He’s a very versatile guy, he can do different things and play different positions and with different types of players.”
The Leafs’ coach was less forthcoming about who would be between the pipes for Toronto in Game 5. Ilya Samsonov started all four games, but Keefe pulled him in favor of Joseph Woll for the third period in Game 4 after Samsonov gave up three goals on 16 shots, including a dagger from David Pastrnak in the final minute of the second. Woll made five saves in relief of Samsonov.
“We’ll find out tomorrow,” Keefe’s responded when asked who would get the call in net. But he also stressed the importance of balancing the scales against Boston with better netminding and special teams than Toronto has showed in the series. The Bruins are 6-for-13 on the power play and Jeremy Swayman — who has started three of the four outings for Boston — has a .956 SV% and 1.34 GAA to go with his 3-0-0 record. Linus Ullmark started Game 2 in the Bruins’ lone loss.
“They’ve had the edge in those areas in the series and that’s tough to overcome. We got to take steps there,” Keefe said. “Getting more saves at critical times is a big part of that. They’re obviously getting lots at the other end.”
Boston also practiced Monday, but without captain Brad Marchand or Danton Heinen. Coach Jim Montgomery said both players took maintenance days. Injured forward Justin Brazeau and defenseman Derek Forbort are also “an option” for the Bruins in Game 5 but Montgomery acknowledged some concern in possibly putting Forbort in midway through a series after he’d been sidelined since March 2 with a pair of ailments.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
