Auston Matthews appears poised to return to lineup in Game 7

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Auston Matthews appears poised to return to the Maple Leafs lineup in Game 7 after all, according to league sources.

Matthews arrived at TD Garden on the first players' bus early on Saturday evening ahead of Game 7. He missed Games 5 and 6 with an undisclosed injury and appeared unlikely to play against the Bruins on Saturday morning.

While coach Sheldon Keefe said that Matthews is "progressing," he made it sound like the Leafs would play a third straight potential elimination game without their best player.

"As of right now, we're proceeding as we've been," Keefe said.

Matthews took part in Toronto's morning skate but was on the ice for only 15 minutes and still looked limited physically. The team didn't show any potential line combinations with their drills.

It sounds like Auston Matthews is a good bet to return to the #leafs lineup for Game 7 tonight in Boston.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 4, 2024

His return for Game 7 would be a huge deal for the Leafs, though it's unclear how effective Matthews will be at less than full strength. Evidently, he wants to try to help the team in any way he can.

Matthews was a dominant force for the Leafs in a Game 2 victory.

Given the highly secretive nature of how teams operate during the Stanley Cup playoffs, specific details about what is ailing Matthews are difficult to come by.

What is known is that the 26-year-old played through illness in Games 3 and 4 before suffering an injury on an innocuous hit while playing sick, according to league sources. Team doctors removed Matthews from the lineup during the second intermission of Game 4, and he was unable to participate in a full team skate again until Saturday morning.

Game 7 will be played at 8 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston.

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(Photo: Brian Fluharty / USA Today)