TORONTO -- Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews has been ruled out for Game 6 of the first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Bruins on Thursday.
Toronto trails the Bruins 3-2 in their best-of-seven and face elimination from the postseason with another loss.
Matthews missed the third period of Game 4 and all of Game 5 with what the Leafs have deemed a "lingering" illness.
Toronto's top center has skated on his own the last three days -- including for nearly 30 minutes prior to the Leafs' morning skate on Thursday -- but coach Sheldon Keefe said it would be the team's doctors ultimately making a call on whether Matthews made it into the lineup.