The Boston Bruins are close to defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5, especially with star player Auston Matthews likely unable to play due to illness. Matthews, the NHL's top goal-scorer this season, has been a key absence for the Leafs, who are trailing in the series. The Bruins await the outcome to face the Florida Panthers, who recently advanced in the playoffs.

"With the Boston Bruins on the verge of potentially knocking out the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, it appears that the Leafs will be without their star player, Auston Matthews. Matthews topped the NHL in goals this season with an impressive 69, also contributing 38 assists for a total of 107 points, the highest on the Leafs' roster.

NHL News: Auston Matthews Unlikely to Feature in Game 5 Against Bruins

Matthews scored a goal and provided two assists in Game 2, which was Toronto's sole victory in the series so far. However, he has not managed to score a point in the other three matchups.

Matthews has been battling a persistent illness, which he reportedly played through in Game 3. Team doctors opted to pull him out of Game 4 after two periods. Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe provided more details about Matthews' condition:

"We were hoping that a couple of days' rest would help, but unfortunately, it's not a typical illness that comes and goes quickly. This one has lingered and worsened when he's been on the ice."

Toronto winger William Nylander also missed the first three games of the series due to migraines. Nylander played in all 82 regular season games for the Leafs and was their second-highest scorer, behind Matthews, with 98 points. With Matthews not fully fit in Game 4, the Bruins have yet to face the Leafs at full strength in this series.

Boston and Toronto have met in four postseason series since 2013, with all three prior series extending to a Game 7. The Maple Leafs have not defeated the Bruins in a playoff series since 1959.

On Monday night, the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Florida Panthers, eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5. The Panthers now await the winner of the Bruins-Leafs series."