$873,770 Leafs winger in awe of 'hardworker' Auston Matthews ahead of Game 5 against Senators

Max Pacioretty, in his first season with the Leafs, praised Auston Matthews for his strong work ethic before Game 5. He signed a one-year, $873,770 contract and has seen Matthews' dedication during practices and games.

"He works insanely hard," Pacioretty said. "He’s an extremely hardworker, one of the hardest I’ve seen. Everyone’s talking about talent but nothing was given to him."

Matthews, the Leafs' captain, has been a key player in the team’s strong playoff push. He took a few days off to rest before Game 5, but was back on the ice for practice.

"Everybody’s grinding," Matthews said via TSN. "I just listen to the body, and sometimes you just feel like you need a little bit of a rest or time off the ice. I think it’s not a big deal."

Matthews has one goal and four assists in four games in the series. In Game 4, he had an assist while playing over 26 minutes. His effort helped keep Toronto in the game, which went to overtime.

Toronto leads the series 3-1 and can finish it at home in Game 5. Matthews knows closing out a series is tough. He believes the team must keep the same mindset.

"The fourth one's the hardest to win," Matthews said. "I thought we played a good game the other night, battled our way back, forced overtime, had our opportunities in overtime, and it didn't go in. But I think for us, the approach is the same. We want to be a desperate hockey team."

Anthony Stolarz to start Game 5 for Maple Leafs

The Leafs are sticking with the same lineup for Game 5. Max Domi stays on a line with Auston Matthews and Nick Robertson remains out.

Anthony Stolarz, who has started all four games in the series, will start in goal again. He had a tough outing in Game 4, allowing four goals in the loss. However, coach Craig Berube is standing by Stolarz. Some fans have called for Joseph Woll to start, but Berube sees no reason to make a change. Stolarz helped the Leafs win 11 games in a row before the recent loss.

“I’m just focused on Stolarz right now. That’s really where I’m at. I don’t think there’s any reason to change right now,” Berube said.

Berube has also been careful with player rest during the playoffs. He gave Matthews time off when needed. He is keeping Woll ready but hasn’t used him yet.