Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
Posted on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 3:37 pmEDT
Last updated Wednesday, April 24, 2024 8:49 pmEDT
TORONTO – Guillermo Nylander It seems to be getting closer.
The Maple Leafs winger is also not yet ready to join the playoff fray.
Nylander He missed a third straight game to open Toronto’s first-round series against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday as he continues to recover from an undisclosed injury.
The 27-year-old participated in line racing alongside Calle Jarnkrok and Pontus Holmberg in Wednesday’s morning skate after missing the first two contests of the Original Six showdown, but stayed late on the ice at Scotiabank Arena with the scratches projected.
NylanderThe spot in the lineup was once again taken by rookie forward Nick Robertson.
Toronto center Auston Matthews skipped the morning skate but was ready for Game 3. The sharpshooter, who scored 69 goals in the regular season, scored the game-winning goal and added two assists as part of a monster performance in Monday’s 3-2 win in Boston.
Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said there was a chance Nylander — who was also on the ice Monday morning with his teammates before Game 2 at TD Garden, but did not rush to the line — would suit up in front of home fans on Wednesday.
Instead, the Swede missed a third straight game after suiting up for the 82 in the regular season.
Nylander He scored 40 goals for the second straight campaign and set a career-high with 98 points in 2023-24, but recorded just four assists in his final 11 appearances down the stretch.
“It means a lot to this team,” said Leafs winger Mitch Marner, who has no points in the series. “He’s done a lot for us offensively to make our team stand out.”
Nylander He has missed time due to illness at different points in his career, but had not been sidelined by injury since November 2016 until this series.
The Leafs and Bruins will meet in the first round for the fourth time in 12 years. Boston won the previous three series (2013, 2018 and 2019) in seven games.
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery was asked about the uncertainty surrounding NylanderWednesday status.
“I hope he’s not playing,” Montgomery deadpanned.
Nylander He scored four goals and 10 points in 11 playoff games last spring as Toronto won a series for the first time in nearly two decades. He has combined for 17 goals and 40 points in 50 career playoff games.
“We’ve had some guys come out with big things and others really step up; nothing really different now,” Marner said of the depth of Toronto’s roster. “Just make sure we’re doing the same thing, the same direction, trusting everyone along the lineup.”
The Leafs and Bruins will have 48 hours off between Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-seven series.
Keefe is pleased with his team’s response without one of its key contributors for six seasons of playoff hockey.
“You have to move on,” he said about life without Nylander. “The way you should play and what it takes to win this time of year is the same no matter who is in or out.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2024.