Auston Matthews is likely out in game five against the Boston Bruins

The Toronto Maple Leafs are under the microscope more than any team in the NHL. It is a hockey-mad media market so everything is crazy there.

When the team doesn't perform well, it is heavily criticized. Well, that is happening with their first-round series against the Boston Bruins.

Heading into game five, the Boston Bruins hold a 3-1 series lead over the Leafs. Toronto has not played well at all and it shows in the record.

The Leafs didn't have William Nylander in the first three games of the series and that certainly negatively impacts them.

It makes it even worse to not know why he missed those games while he took morning skates looking just fine.

Things are going from bad to worse for the Maple Leafs this postseason

In game four when Nylander returned, he was caught telling his teammates to stop crying and didn't do much of anything to help them win.

During the same game, Auston Matthews left for the third period and didn't return. Now, he is likely going to be out for game five. This report comes from Chris Johnston of The Athletic ($).

This is terrible news for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they face elimination. Their backs are against the wall and they will be missing their best player.

Matthews plays an incredible two-way game while being the best goal-scorer on the planet. He scored 69 goals in the NHL and but only has one so far in these playoffs. His ability to dominate in the regular season has been inconsistent when the postseason begins.

Joseph Woll is going to get the start for the Leafs in game five so things are already starting to change for them. With Matthews likely out of the lineup, things are not looking good. It is reportedly an illness that is the culprit for his absence.

If the Bruins win, Matthews won't be there with his team as they hit the handshake line. You can also probably expect some big things to change with them during the summer if they go out with a whimper once again.