The Toronto Maple Leafs Likely Without Auston Matthews for Tonight's Game 6

The Toronto Maple Leafs battled hard without their best player on Tuesday and they'll likely have to do it again tonight.

The 59 goal-scoring, play driving, best-player-in-franchise history is likely to miss tonight's big game. TSN is reporting that he won't play, but I won't count him out until the puck drops.

Is he sick? We know that he was.

Is he injured? He didn't appear to be skating very hard during the last seconds of the second period when he was unable to help the Leafs defend against a rush that ended up in the back of their net.

Either way, we don't know.

We just know that if he plays it will be a Christmas Miracle, as he is not expected to.

The Toronto Maple Leafs Likely Without Auston Matthews for Tonight's Game 6

If the Leafs have Matthews, then it's a big surprise and they're pumped up and they have a great advantage.

If the Leafs don't have Matthews, then they have to buckle down and psych themselves up and maybe they even get a little juice out of that too.

It's possible to spin this as a positive....sort of. I mean, obviously it's better to have Matthews than to not have him, but if despite the classic hockey narrative about playing hurt in the playoffs, that can backfire just as easily as it can help. If he's hurt bad enough to consider missing the game, he should probably miss the game.

He was great in a legendary game 2 performance, but his play in the other games wasn't so hot.

The Leafs will start Joseph Woll, and Mitch Marner will be looking to show that his instant chemistry with Bertuzzi and Domi wasn't a fluke.

The Leafs haven't scored on a power-play, scored more than two goals, or won at home very much recently. Like Matthews injury, you can spin this as a positive if you try hard enough. I like to think they're due!

That may be delusional, but I like their chances. Joseph Woll gives you a confidence Ilya Samsonov doesn't, and even without Matthews this is a pretty crazy-deep team - at least up front.

Speaking of delusions, check these stats with and without Matthews against the Bruins this year:

Obviously not having Matthews is a major disadvantage, and after seeing this, maybe I shouldn't be so confident if he doesn't play....especially in light of the Bruins dominating the special teams and goaltending, and having a much, much better blue-line.

But I keep coming back to the Leafs losing to the Canadians while outshooting them 12-0 in overtime. Or losing to Columbus the game after one of the greatest comebacks in NHL history. Or how that ref cost them the series in game six the first time they played Tampa. Basically, the Leafs have been on the wrong end of so many unlikely events that I have to think they're bound to finally get one to go their way.

Win without Auston Matthews? Why not? It's not like having him was helping them out any.

Either way, I like how this team has responded to adversity. John Tavares, Max Domi and Mitch Marner played like they were playing for their careers on Tuesday, and if they can once again find that level of play the Leafs should have no problem forcing a game seven.