What we’re seeing from Leafs as Game 5 looms: Auston Matthews, Joseph Woll rest

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After a day off on Sunday following their Game 4 loss to the Senators, the Maple Leafs returned to practice Monday.

The day of rest seemed to do the team well through a spirited-but-shorter-than-usual practice.

“It’s rare we get a day off in the playoffs,” William Nylander said with a smile.

Here’s what The Athletic saw and heard during Monday’s practice.

Matthews rests

Auston Matthews did not practice Monday. The Leafs quickly made the assembled media aware Matthews’ absence was because of a rest day. Coach Craig Berube said there was no concern about Matthews missing Game 5 on Tuesday night.

A few things worth noting here: Matthews logged 26:23 TOI in Game 4. That’s his highest ice time of the season and nearly five minutes more than he’s played in any of the other three games this series.

It’s also the most Matthews has played in a playoff game since the 29:28 he logged in Game 5 against the Florida Panthers in 2023.

Berube implied that he and Matthews had a conversation about that increased ice time and the decision was made to give the Leafs’ No. 1 centre a day off from practice.

Also: Matthews’ day off practice comes after a day off for the team on Sunday. The hope for the Leafs then has to be that Matthews is fully refreshed for Game 4.

Matthews has one goal and five points through four games.

Woll misses practice

Joseph Woll did not practice on Monday. Berube said the Leafs goalie was feeling “under the weather.”

At this time of the year, keeping any bugs out of the dressing room isn’t the worst idea. Woll doesn’t seem to be questionable for Game 5.

But Woll’s absence comes after Anthony Stolarz looked off his incredible late-season form in Game 4. Stolarz allowed four goals on 21 shots. And so even though Stolarz is in the middle of the heaviest workload of his career, he still looks in line to start Game 5.

Woll last played on April 17, making 31 saves in a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings in the final game of the regular season.

In Woll’s absence on Monday, Marlies goalie Artur Akhtyamov took the brunt of the team’s shots toward the end of practice.

Tavares OK

John Tavares practiced in full on Monday after taking an elbow to the head from Senators defenceman Artem Zub in overtime of Game 4. Tavares looks and sounds fit to play in Game 5 after being called into concussion protocol following the hit. Tavares missed a crucial four-minute power play and the Leafs did not score.

No penalty was called on the play.

alright, standard set pic.twitter.com/xRKrSqtnHA

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 27, 2025

“I don’t like the hit,” Berube said. “Puck’s nowhere near him. Looked like a headshot to me.”

Opinion from the Leafs room was hard to find Monday morning. Multiple Leafs claimed not to have seen the play, more than 24 hours afterward.

Tavares, in his own way, seemed to suggest that at the very least a penalty should have been called.

“I don’t think I really need to explain it. (It’s) pretty obvious what happened on the play. (The) puck is nowhere near me. But I’ve just moved on from it,” Tavares said.

More discipline needed from Domi

Still lingering from Game 4: Max Domi’s unnecessary roughing penalty against Senators centre Shane Pinto off a first-period face-off. The Senators then scored on the ensuing power play. In a game that ended with a 4-3 score, avoiding that one goal could have made a massive difference for the Leafs.

Berube has been vocal about his team’s need to not take needless penalties through the series. Nick Robertson was pulled out of the lineup for Game 3 in part because of a high-sticking penalty he took late in the second period of Game 2.

“It’s not a good penalty,” Berube said of the Domi call declaratively during a conference call on Sunday. “Domi knows that. His emotions got a little too high there and too involved. It is one of the penalties that he knew he couldn’t take, and our team doesn’t want to take.”

Getting Domi to walk the fine line between agitating and not spending any more time in the penalty box will be crucial for the Leafs.

Pacioretty remains in lineup — for now

The Leafs will likely stick with the same lineup they iced in Games 3 and 4. That will see Max Pacioretty remain on the third line with Domi and Bobby McMann after the veteran forward entered the lineup in Game 3.

Pacioretty was his spirited and physical best in Game 3. But it was hard not to notice a serious drop off in those same energy levels later in Game 4.

“(Pacioretty’s) second game was fine, I thought the energy level wasn’t as good, which is expected,” Berube said.

Pacioretty’s line was caved in at five-on-five. They registered just 5 percent of the expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick, and 27 percent of the shot attempts. Both totals were the lowest of any Leaf line.

That’s not to suggest that their play should be put on the shoulders of Pacioretty and Pacioretty alone. But if the pace of play remains an issue, it’s worth watching Pacioretty’s spot in the lineup should the Leafs lose in Game 5.

Nick Robertson was the last Leaf on the ice for Monday’s practice. He spent extra time working on the things that could make a difference should he be called back into the lineup later this series, including his shot and puck protection.

Robertson’s recent history of scoring in multiple games after being scratched has to be lingering at least somewhere in the back of Berube’s mind. Yet any lineup decisions certainly feel dependent on the result in Game 5.

(Photo of Auston Matthews: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images) 

This news was originally published on this post .

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