Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz: Matthews uncertain for Maple Leafs in Game 7

Welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoff Buzz. With the postseason underway, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews skated on his own on Friday, but his status remains uncertain for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Boston Bruins Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC).

"Yeah, there's been progress, he skated again here today but no determination on his availability," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.

The center, who led the NHL with 69 goals in 81 games in the regular season, did not play in Toronto's 2-1 overtime win in Game 5 on Tuesday or in a 2-1 win in Game 6 on Thursday, which tied the best-of-7 series.

"We're in a position where if we win, we are alive, if we lose, we are dead and that's the way we've been the last two games and I think we've performed well under those circumstances," Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly said of winning two games without Matthews.

Matthews was on the ice for the morning skate prior to Game 5 for about four minutes and skated on his own at the Maple Leafs practice facility on Wednesday. Ahead of Game 6, he skated on his own prior to the morning skate, but departed before the full session began.

Matthews left a 3-1 loss in Game 4 last Saturday after the second period and Keefe said that he "was removed by doctors," but it remains unclear whether he is dealing with an illness, an injury or both.

Matthews has three points (one goal, two assists) in four games this series, all of them coming in a 3-2 win in Game 2. -- Dave McCarthy

Nashville Predators

Luke Schenn will be a game-time decision for Game 6 against of the Western Conference First Round against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday (7 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, BSSO, SN, TVAS, CBC).

Schenn missed a 2-1 win in Game 5 on Tuesday because of an illness, but took part in the morning skate Friday.

"Much better today," the defenseman said Thursday. "It seemed like it was more of a 24-hour thing, now just kind of recovering. It's actually a blessing in disguise having two days between games here."

Schenn said his issues started after he woke from his pregame nap Tuesday.

"It's bizarre because I had the flu in Game 1 and I ended up playing," he said. "And I got this, I don't know if it's the flu, but whatever it was eight, nine days later, but 10 times worse. ... I felt really good all day until sort of waking up from my pregame nap. So I don't know what it was but it hit me to the point where I had nothing in me."

Tyson Barrie made his series debut in place of Schenn in Game 5 and had an assist in 17:42 of ice time. Nashville also recalled defenseman Kevin Gravel from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Thursday.

"[Schenn] is obviously day to day and see how he feels today, and see how he feels tomorrow morning," coach Andrew Brunette said. "It's kind of been going around a little bit."

The Predators trail the best-of-7 series 3-2. -- Adam Kimelman

New York Rangers

Adam Fox didn't skate for the second day in a row Thursday because of maintenance.

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette wouldn't address Fox's status and did not specifically say if he has to practice in the next few days to be ready for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The date and time for Game 1 is TBD.

"When our players return to the ice, they return to the ice," Laviolette said. "So, if he's cleared for practice he's cleared for practice."

The Rangers have not issued a specific reason why Fox hasn't skated, but it could stem from the knee-on-knee hit he took from Nick Jensen in the first period of a 4-2 series-clinching win against the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of the first round Sunday.

Fox was shaken up after taking the hit to his right knee that resulted in a tripping penalty on Jensen at 18:51. He didn't start the ensuing power play, but came onto the ice 28 seconds into the man advantage and was on the ice when Vincent Trocheck scored a power-play goal at 19:44.

Fox finished with 21:09 of ice time in Game 4, the most among Rangers defensemen but has not skated since.

Fox had two assists and was a plus-4 averaging 21:46 of ice time per game in the first round against Washington. He led Rangers defensemen with 73 points (17 goals, 56 assists) in 72 regular season games. * -- Dan Rosen*

Florida Panthers

Sam Bennett is expected to return for the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Second Round.

The forward has not played since sustaining an apparent hand injury in a 3-2 overtime win in Game 2 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 23, when a shot from teammate Brandon Montour struck him. Bennett scored the opening goal and assisted on the second and was expected to be out week to week.

"That's a very real possibility," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday. "He will skate tomorrow for the first time and then I will give you an update before the next series starts,"

Bennett, who had 41 points (20 goals, 21 assists) in 69 regular-season games, has a goal and an assist in two playoff games.

The Panthers, who defeated the Lightning in five games in the first round, will play the Boston Bruins or Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round. The start of that series is to be determined. -- George Richards

Carolina Hurricanes

Brett Pesce could return to the lineup when the Hurricanes play the New York Rangers in the second round.

The defenseman has not played since he sustained a noncontact lower-body injury in a 5-3 win in Game 2 of the first round against the New York Islanders on April 22. Carolina eliminated New York with a 6-3 win in Game 5 on Tuesday.

"Brett is out of his walking boot, doing things right now," Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said Wednesday. "If everything goes as expected, he shall play games in this round. Maybe not right off the start, but he will play games in this round."

It is unclear when the second round will begin.

Pesce had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 70 regular-season games.

Tony DeAngelo, who played in Pesce's spot on a pair with Brady Skjei in Games 3-5, is OK after he was hit on the arm by Islanders forward Pierre Engvall while retrieving a puck in Carolina's zone in the final minutes of the third period in Game 5.

"Tony is fine, X-rays were all negative," Waddell said. "He's feeling better today, so that shouldn't be an issue at all."

DeAngelo had 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 31 regular-season games.

The Hurricanes are also hopeful to sign coach Rod Brind’Amour to a new contract soon.

Brind’Amour is in the final season of a three-year contract. He has led Carolina to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his six seasons following a nine-year drought.

“To me, when you’re dealing with contracts, there’s always two sides,” Waddell said. “Rod’s been great to deal with, and there’s going to be a solution here very quickly, I feel.”

The Hurricanes eliminated the New York Islanders with a 6-3 win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Tuesday, making Carolina the first team to advance at least one round for six consecutive seasons since the Detroit Red Wings (1995-2000). The Hurricanes, the No. 2 seed in the Metropolitan Division, will face the top-seeded New York Rangers in the second round.

Brind’Amour, who won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year in 2021, has a 278-130-44 regular-season record. He is 36-32 in the playoffs. The 53-year-old coach has led the Hurricanes to three consecutive seasons of at least 50 wins.

“We talk daily about it and I feel confident, as I’ve said before, that this deal will get done,” Waddell said. “Rod wants to be a Hurricane for life.”

Brind’Amour had 1,184 points (452 goals, 732 assists) in 1,484 regular-season games with the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Hurricanes from 1988-2010. He was captain when Carolina won the Stanley Cup in 2006. -- Kurt Dusterberg