Auston Matthews: (serious) knee injury suspected

Is there anything more exciting than a game #7 in hockey? The answer is no.

The Maple Leafs – without Auston Matthews – have managed to win the two most recent games in their series against the Bruins and force a seventh and final game tomorrow night in Boston.

Although yesterday’s game was (again) overshadowed by shoddy officiating in which several obvious penalties were not called, let’s face it: the stage is set for tomorrow night’s only game in the Bettman circuit to be something.

Let’s hope the Predators and Golden Knights can also force a Game 7 in their respective series tonight. #ForTheShow

The Maple Leafs and Bruins will be playing their third final game against each other in 11 years. A third in Boston’s TD Garden…

In 2013, the Bruins needed overtime to eliminate Toronto; Patrice Bergeron – who else? – foiled James Reimer after six minutes and counting.

In 2018, the Bruins exploded with four third-period goals to complete the remontada. A 7-4 victory!

Will the famous phrase ” never two without three ” hold true this year? Did the Maple Leafs really break their curse last year, or will they choker again tomorrow? We’ll see.

A little seriousness, please
A professional league cannot afford to be called not credible in 2024.

The proof: Gary Bettman had no choice but to pull the plug on his eternal Arizona project because it made the league (and many other owners) look so bad.

The NHL, a league less popular than three or four other circuits south of the border, has to make sure it’s serious and credible at all times. Especially now that they’ve teamed up with online betting sites and are encouraging fans to bet on the games they watch (or don’t).

But the NHL seems anything but credible at the moment.

The referees are like Tomas Tatar emulators: they’re just not the same once the playoffs start.

And the fact that nothing is disclosed about injuries to players on teams that are still alive only adds to the ridiculousness of the best ice hockey league in the world.

William Nylander was apparently ill… or in a dispute with his coach… or on the outs with team-mates… or with a lower-body injury… or with post-concussion symptoms…

Who knows?

You never know when he’s going to be able to play. And last night we saw just how much he can change the course of a game!

Right now, it’s Auston Matthews who’s sick… or injured. Even Elliotte Friedman no longer believes the official version of an illness.

Lying like this to journalists and fans is not good for the reputation of teams or the league; few players put on their skates for a few minutes each day when they’re too sick to play. It’s more like a guy testing a body part than fighting a virus.

And since Matthews only does a few laps of the ice without intensity when he puts on the skates, we can assume that it’s his lower body that’s hurt. Or is it mononucleosis, as reported yesterday on Montreal radio?

According to the images shared by a Leafs fan and the comments of a sports doctor, it’ s logical to think that Matthews is currently suffering from a knee injury.

I know I’m dreaming and that it won’t happen , but NHL teams really need to be much more specific about the nature of their players’ absences. Not disclosing anything about Auston Matthews’ absence may hurt the Bruins’ preparation a LITTLE ( Leafs‘ strategy), but it mostly benefits a few big, ratty (and sometimes dishonest) bettors who are able to get additionalinfo on Matthews… respectfully or via threats or blackmail.

On the stock market, there are authorities who force listed companies to disclose important information to everyone at once.

Since we’re in an era of online betting – and the NHL is encouraging this very behavior now – the league should also disclose information that could influence bets to everyone at once.

The NHL needs to follow the NFL’s lead and disclose the details of its players’ injuries quickly and accurately. F*ck the privacy of a player’s medical file: there’s no such thing as privacy when it has an influence on the rink, is there?

Still, we’re talking about a game #7 where the league’s top scorer – sponsored by Bet99, by the way – could really make a difference.

Even if he has more of a reputation for NOT making the difference in the playoffs, hehe…

Breaking news

– Only in football futbol: CS St-Laurent – a semi-professional club from Montreal – defeated a CPL pro club yesterday in Halifax. It will now face none other than Toronto FC on Wednesday at Centre Claude-Robillard. I hope we can fill the stands. [Tickets$20]

– Montreal CF medical update.

– Congratulations guys!

CANADIAN SHIELD

Impressive, nearly 1,500 views for this second episode! Thanks again for your loyalty to French-language content on @onesoccer.

Success with an Olivier Renard interview is understandable, but the same success with a match between a… pic.twitter.com/BIlt8DJQFB

– Nilton Jorge (@NiltonJorge) May 3, 2024