Muzzin game-day call after groin injury
Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Muzzin hasn’t been ruled out for Monday’s Game 7 against the Canadiens despite what appeared to be a groin injury suffered in Game 6.
Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said Sunday that Muzzin, who has two goals in the first-round series against Montreal, was undergoing tests and while the outlook wasn’t promising, there was still a chance he could return.
In Saturday’s game, the veteran defender skated back into his own zone to retrieve a puck before pulling up in apparent pain. He appeared to be favouring his groin area as he skated to the bench.
Muzzin did not return to the ice. The Leafs didn’t practise Sunday, but were expected to conduct a full morning skate on Monday prior to the deciding game at Scotiabank Arena. á Whither Willy: Keefe was contemplating line options for William Nylander, who leads the Leafs with four goals.
Nylander had been with Alex Kerfoot and Alex Galchenyuk earlier in the series, but was with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in Game 6 as the Leafs searched for more offence. Keefe has also had Nylander with Nick Foligno.
Nylander. who notched four goals in the first five games of the series, played a series-high 24:23 in Game 6. á Grit: Montreal forward Jake Evans, after a two-game injury absence, did an outstanding job of helping shut down Matthews and Marner in Game 6.
“I know I’m not the most skilled guy, and I don’t have that great one-timer, and I can’t pull off a toe drag consistently,” Evans said Sunday in Montreal, before the Canadiens left for Toronto. “So I have to use my speed and be gritty.” á Will: Montreal coach Dominique Ducharme said veteran forward Corey Perry has spoken up on the bench throughout the series, especially in tough moments. Ducharme also said Shea Weber, Eric Staal, Joel Edmundson and Brendan Gallagher have helped calm situations when the Canadiens faced elimination.
Ducharme said Weber wills his team to results. The hardrock defenceman, who returned to the lineup for Game 1 after missing 14 games with an injury, led all skaters in Game 6 with over 37 minutes of ice time. “His presence on the ice, his experience … for the other team, playing against Shea isn’t easy,” Ducharme said. “He has the experience and the will to go further. I think that inspires our group.”