Matthews still ill with Leafs on brink of elimination
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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
TORONTO — Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews is still feeling the effects of an illness that forced him from the third period of Toronto’s 3-1 loss in Game 4 of Toronto’s first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Bruins on Saturday.
Matthews had played through the sickness in Game 3 — which the Leafs lost 4-2 — and battled it again in Game 4 until Toronto’s team doctors pulled him out of action for the final frame. The Leafs now face elimination from the postseason in Game 5 on Tuesday, and there’s no guarantee Matthews will be well enough to dress for the crucial contest.
“We thought the last couple of days would help us,” coach Sheldon Keefe said after Toronto’s team meeting Sunday. “But, for whatever reason, it’s not one of those run-of-the-mill type of illnesses that sort of comes and goes. This one has lingered, and the effects have lingered and gotten worse when he’s got on the ice and is asserting himself.”
Keefe said he hoped the extra day of recovery Sunday would help Matthews feel stronger on the ice by Tuesday. The Leafs already face an uphill battle to stay alive in the playoffs after an emotional defeat Saturday that included a bench argument gone viral between Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander.
The Leafs were trailing 3-0 in the second period when cameras captured the team’s three top forwards exchanging heated words, right before they were booed off the ice at intermission by the hometown crowd.
On the outside, that scene looked like a sign of turmoil, but Keefe saw passion behind his players’ words as a positive signal.
“In the past, quite honestly, that wouldn’t have happened, guys wouldn’t have talked it out, wouldn’t have, if you want to call it ‘arguing’ it out,” he said. “That wouldn’t have happened. I look at that as progress and those guys care. I don’t look at it as frustration, I look at them being upset and pissed off that that they didn’t deliver for the team, and they’re pushing and challenging each other to get it right.”
It has been a difficult postseason in some fashion for all three skaters. Matthews was the standout in Game 2, tallying three points and the game winner to lift Toronto to its only playoff victory so far. But that’s all Matthews has put on the score sheet through four games. Marner has just two points to his credit, and Nylander only suited up for his first game Saturday after missing the start of these playoffs with an undisclosed injury.
Keefe said it’s not the first time there’s been verbal sparring among the Leafs’ core players, and he felt it did lead to tangible results Saturday.
“The better thing for me is that the remainder of the game, in the next opportunities that we had, they’re working together, they’re talking about it, they’re making the plan,” Keefe said. “These guys have been together a long time, and they are pushing and challenging each other to get it right and they know how important they are to the team and when they’re not delivering, they recognize it.”
It’s not just those three players who have to be better in Game 5. Toronto has managed just seven playoff goals as a team, and their putrid power play is a momentum-sucking 1-for-14. Boston has offered Toronto opportunities to cash in with the extra man, including less than four minutes into Game 4 with a bench minor for too many men, but the Leafs have done anything but take advantage.
The lack of special teams success — despite changes to personnel — is what Keefe said irked him the most and where he is certain the Leafs can improve their prospects for a victory Tuesday.
“II there’s one area that really stood out [in Game 4], it’s our power play had a chance to really get us going in the game and in that first period and really failed to do so,” he said. “That was probably the most disappointing part of the game, and that the urgency level wasn’t higher at that particular time. So that’s a big one. We made changes to the top power play unit, and it got worse, not better. Today is about diagnosing some of the things that have been problematic and looking at some of the things that have gone well for us in this series and how we continue to embrace those and build upon them.
Keefe pointed out the Leafs’ lone victory in the series included a power play goal and critical penalty kill, showcasing why those special teams battles could tell the tale for Toronto again in Game 5. Focusing on what the Leafs can control is the message Keefe said he’s tried to send and that includes having Toronto maintain the right mindset before heading back to Boston.
“It’s less about recognizing that you’re facing elimination,” he said, “and look at it more so as the opportunity to go in on the road, give ourselves some life in this series and bring it back home for a chance to get it right [in Game 6].”
The first 12-team College Football Playoff is down to the final two contenders: Notre Dame and Ohio State.
The seventh-seeded Fighting Irish and eighth-seeded Buckeyes will meet Jan. 20 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T. Whichever team wins will end a championship drought. Notre Dame aims for its first title since 1988. Ohio State’s lull isn’t nearly as long, as the Buckeyes won the first CFP championship a decade ago, but given how consistently elite they are, it seems like a while.
Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Ohio State’s Ryan Day are also aiming for their first championships as head coaches, and Freeman’s past will be in the spotlight. Freeman and the Irish lost to the Buckeyes and Day in each of the past two seasons. But after a masterful coaching job this season, Freeman now will face his alma mater — he was an All-Big Ten linebacker for Ohio State under coach Jim Tressel — with everything on the line. Day, meanwhile, can secure the loftiest goal for a team that fell short of earlier ones, but never stopped swinging.
Here’s your first look at the championship matchup and what to expect in the ATL. — Adam Rittenberg
When: Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN
What we learned in the semifinal: Notre Dame’s resilience and situational awareness/execution are undeniably its signature traits and could propel the team to a title. The Irish have overcome injuries all season and did so again against Penn State. They also erased two deficits and continued to hold the edge in the “middle eight” — the final four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half — while dominating third down on both sides of the ball. Notre Dame can rely on front men such as quarterback Riley Leonard, running back Jeremiyah Love and linebacker Jack Kiser, but also on backup QB Steve Angeli, wide receiver Jaden Greathouse and kicker Mitch Jeter. These Irish fight, and they’re very hard to knock out.
X factor: Greathouse entered Thursday with moderate numbers — 29 receptions, 359 yards, one touchdown — and had only three total catches for 14 yards in the first two CFP games. But he recorded career highs in both receptions (7) and receiving yards (105) and tied the score on a 54-yard touchdown with 4:38 to play. A Notre Dame offense looking for more from its wide receivers, especially downfield, could lean more on Greathouse, who exceeded his receptions total from the previous five games but might be finding his groove at the perfect time. He also came up huge in the clutch, recording all but six of his receiving yards in the second half.
How Notre Dame wins: The Irish won’t have the talent edge in Atlanta, partly because they’ve lost several stars to season-ending injuries, but they have the right traits to hang with any opponent. Notre Dame needs contributions in all three phases and must continue to sprinkle in downfield passes, an element offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has pushed. And they finally did start seeing results against Penn State. The Irish likely can’t afford to lose the turnover margin, although they can help themselves by replicating their third-down brilliance — 11 of 17 conversions on offense, 3 of 11 conversions allowed on defense — from the Penn State win. — Rittenberg
What we learned in the semifinal: The Buckeyes have a defense with championship mettle, headlined by senior defensive end Jack Sawyer, who delivered one of the biggest defensive plays in Ohio State history. On fourth-and-goal with just over two minutes remaining, Sawyer sacked Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, forcing a fumble that he scooped up and raced 83 yards for a game-clinching touchdown, propelling Ohio State to the national title game. The Buckeyes weren’t perfect in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, and they struggled offensively for much of the night against a talented Texas defense. But Ohio State showed late why its defense is arguably the best in college football, too.
X factor: The play two snaps before the Sawyer scoop-and-score set the table. On second-and-goal from the Ohio State 1-yard line, unheralded senior safety Lathan Ransom dashed past incoming blockers and dropped Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner for a 7-yard loss. After an incomplete pass, the Longhorns were forced into desperation mode on fourth-and-goal down a touchdown with just over two minutes remaining. All-American safety Caleb Downs, who had an interception on Texas’ ensuing drive, rightfully gets all the headlines for the Ohio State secondary. But the Buckeyes have other veteran standouts such as Ransom throughout their defense.
How Ohio State wins: Texas took away Ohio State’s top offensive playmaker, true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who had only one reception for 3 yards on three targets. As the first two playoff games underscored, the Buckeyes offense is at its best when Smith gets the ball early and often. Notre Dame is sure to emulate the Texas blueprint, positioning the defensive backs to challenge Smith. Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has to counter with a plan that finds ways to get the ball into Smith’s hands, no matter what the Fighting Irish do. — Jake Trotter
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Doug Greenberg, ESPN
Ohio State opened as a 9.5-point favorite over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T, per ESPN BET odds.
If that line holds, it would be tied for the second-largest spread in a CFP national championship game and the fourth largest in the CFP/BCS era. Georgia was -13.5 against TCU in the 2022 national championship, while Alabama showed -9.5 against none other than Ohio State to decide the 2020 campaign. Both favorites covered the spread in blowout fashion, combining for a cover margin of 63.
Notre Dame is 12-3 against the spread this season, tied with Arizona State (12-2) and Marshall (12-1) for the most covers in the nation. The Irish are 7-0 ATS against ranked teams and 2-0 ATS as underdogs, with both covers going down as outright victories, including their win over Penn State (-1.5) in the CFP national semifinal.
However, Notre Dame was also on the losing end of the largest outright upset of the college football season when it fell as a 28.5-point favorite to Northern Illinois.
Ohio State is 9-6 against the spread and has been a favorite in every game it has played this season; it has covered the favorite spread in every CFP game thus far, including in its semifinal win against Texas when it covered -6 with overwhelming public support.
The Buckeyes also have been an extremely popular pick in the futures market all season. At BetMGM as of Friday morning, OSU had garnered a leading 28.2% of money and 16.8% of bets to win the national title, checking in as the sportsbook’s greatest liability.
Ohio State opened at +700 to win it all this season and is now -350 with just one game to play.
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