Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos indicates that Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference is out for Game 7 and included a tweet of the blueliner entering the TD Garden on crutches.
UPDATE - 4pm
Per TSN's Darren Dreger, Leafs center Tyler Bozak did not make the trip to Boston for Game 7 due to an unspecified upper body injury.
UPDATE - 12:30pm
Per Kyle Cicerella of Canadian Press is reporting that defenseman Korbinian Holzer did not skate with the Marlies this morning at Ricoh Coliseum. According to TSN 1050's Jonas Siegel, Holzer was spotted at the airport in Toronto late this morning catching a flight to Boston.
The Leafs are already short handed on the blueline, with Mike Kostka and Mark Fraser out with injuries. Rookie Jesse Blacker was recalled on Thursday after Fraser's cranial fracture injury, so if Holzer has been recalled there is the possibility of another injury concern.
The Toronto Maple Leafs followed the same blueprint that earned them a victory in Boston on Friday in a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal on Sunday night.
Not only were the scores of the two victories the same, but how the games unfolded were remarkably similar.
After a scoreless and tentative first period for both teams, goalie James Reimer again stole the show in the middle frame with a momentum changing save on Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins forward had a chance to give his club the lead and a much needed emotional boost as he did with a gaping net in Game 5, but was again thwarted by a nimble Reimer who dove frantically to the far post to stop Bergeron’s wraparound attempt.
Dion Phaneuf’s goal at 1:48 of the third period was a bit of redemption for his ill-timed hit on Nathan Horton in overtime of Game 4, as the Leafs team captain uncharacteristically went to the front of the net and deflected Nazem Kadri’s long shot past Tuukka Rask.
The Leafs extended their lead to 2-0 just over seven minutes later, as Boston was caught with a group of tired players on the ice after an icing. Cody Franson’s point shot and James van Riemsdyk were stopped by Rask, but Phil Kessel picked up the loose puck and backhanded into the open net.
With the 2-0 lead, Toronto again fell back into a defensive posture to preserve the lead. The Bruins mounted a late charge, with Milan Lucic scoring with 26 seconds left but it was not their onslaught did not have the ferocity of the third period comeback in Game 5, where the Leafs were barely able to get the puck out of the defensive zone.
The intangible factors appear to be as even as the series going into Game 7. The Bruins did not have defenseman Andrew Ference for Game 6 due to an undisclosed ailment. His status for Monday is unclear, as Boston will likely not skate until the pre-game since plane trouble had them flying out of Toronto early this morning.
Toronto scratched center and faceoff specialist Tyler Bozak just before game time and replaced him with rookie Joe Colborne, who played well between Joffrey Lupul and Matt Frattin in over 15 minutes of ice time. Bozak was noticeably hampered and did not take a shot in the pre-game warmup on Sunday. After the game, Colborne revealed that he was told by Coach Randy Carlyle on Friday that he would in the lineup for Game 6 immediately after the Leafs victory in Boston on Friday.
Boston has the experience advantage in Game 7’s. as they went to the deciding game three times on the road to their Cup win in 2011 and again in 2012 in their first round loss to Washington, but Toronto appears to be the more energetic of the two teams, as the more veteran Bruins will be playing their 13th game in 24 days tonight.
Will be updating throughout the day with news and tidbits……
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