Bruins' Jim Montgomery gives his honest opinion on Auston Matthews

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Apr 25, 2024 18:26 GMT

Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery shared his candid thoughts on Auston Matthews, dubbing him "the most dangerous man on the ice."

When asked how his team had coped against Matthews in the past and what they planned to do going forward, Montgomery said:

“I think we have done a pretty good job. Great players are going to make plays. What I have been impressed about with him is how tenacious he has been on pucks and how tenacious he has been on the forecheck. He has been relentless with his forecheck.

"On the first goal, he wins the battle and rings it off the crossbar. It ends up in our net, right? On the other play, he gets in behind us. We can’t let him in behind us. That is the most dangerous man on the ice. You have to be tighter. He is the most dangerous man on the ice because he has earned it."

For the Toronto Maple Leafs, breaking their streak of futility against the Bruins has been a longstanding challenge, especially in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But in their latest game, Auston Matthews stepped up, scoring the game winner.

After struggling in Game 1, he bounced back and set up key plays that helped Max Domi and John Tavares find the net.

Auston Matthews is crucial as Maple Leafs cope with William Nylander's absence in playoffs

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander has been absent from the team's first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins due to undisclosed reasons.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe provided limited information regarding Nylander's status:

"Obviously no update today, because not much happening for us here today except for getting ready to travel. But he's a possibility for us tomorrow, I guess, is all we would say."

Nylander had an impressive regular season, playing in all 82 games and achieving career-high statistics with 40 goals, 58 assists, and a total of 98 points.

Despite his absence in the playoffs so far, Nylander remains a key player for the Maple Leafs, especially given his upcoming eight-year, $92 million extension set to begin on July 1.