TORONTO—Brando Carlo was present and accounted for at Bruins’ morning skate and was ready to go for Thursday’s Game 6. That was not the case late in the third and in overtime in Game 5 on Tuesday at the Garden.

Late in the third period on Tuesday, Carlo was hit with a puck up high and his sight was too impaired to go back in immediately. His last shift ended with 1:55 left in reglation.

“It was kind of a wonky thing last game,” said Carlo. “I just got hit with the puck in the face and where it hit me, my muscle was just kind of spasming so my eye was kind of closed. So if any of you have seen me in my glasses, you understand that I need both eyes out there, for sure. It just wouldn’t open back up until the game was over and I was able to relax,, and it took it’s guard down and my eye was able to open back up. Just an interesting situation but happy that nothing really bad came from it.”

The game, of course, was over quickly with Matthews Knies winning it just 2:26 into OT. Had the game extended, Carlo believes he would have been able to get back.

“For sure, I would probably say 10-20 minutes after that game was done, it started to open up, enough where I could see well enough to play, but in those moments we were just trying to get it to calm down,” said Carlo….

For the second game in a row, the Leafs were going to be without their best player, 69-goal scorer Auston Matthews.

Considering that the Leafs played perhaps their best game of the series in Game 5 without him, the news didn’t cause the B’s to jump for joy.

“Obviously, he’s a tremendous player. Best goalscorer in the league since he came in. Great player. But they played great without him last game,” said coach Jim Montgomery.

Said Kevin Shattenkirk: “It’s like when (William) Nylander was out (in the first three games), it changes the dynamic of their team. They’re all powerful weapons and Auston is certainly the most dangerous man when he’s on the ice. But I don’’t think their game changed as much last game. I just think as a whole, they were just desperate. And I think if he was in the lineup, it would have been more of the same. It’s more of their mentality of having to fight with their backs against the wall. That’s the mentality that we need to bring ourselves.”…

Shattenkirk was expected back in the lineup on the third pairing with Parker Wotherspoon, with Matt Grzelcyk coming out.

Shattenkirk was also running the second power-play unit with David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha on the elbows, Justin Brazeau at net-front and James van Riemsdyk in the bumper.

“I think the mentality is to go out there and be very direct,” said Shattenkirk of the second PP unit mentality. “You’re probably going out there not so much on a faceoff, so you have to make sure you’re entries are clean, you’re winning puck battles and when you do get your chances, throw ‘em at the net and create havoc. And usually, if it doesn’t lead you to a goal, it kind of sets your team up and the next line for having offensive zone time and building momentum that way. That’s always the focus when you’re on that second unit.”…

Whatever has been bothering Danton Heinen has finally cost him a game. Montgomery ruled out the handy winger after the morning skate, terming as day-to-day. Heinen missed practice last Friday before Game 4 and on Monday before Game 5.

Heinen has one assist in the series, but it was a big one. It came when he won a puck in the corner to set up Brad Marchand’s game-winning goal in Game 4.

Heinen’s absence allowed John Beecher to get back in the lineup on a fourth line with Pat Maroon and Jesper Boqvist….

Having not been on the team last year, Pat Maroon didn’t want to discuss anything about the B’s letting the 3-1 series lead slip away from them against the Florida Panthers. But with three Stanley Cups on his resume, he has a pretty good idea of how to approach a game when times get tense.

“Oh, I mean, it’s a privilege to play this game,” said Maroon. “For me, you’ve just got to live in the moment and take every shift in. Sometimes people take it for granted…You’ve got to go out there and enjoy the moment. Some people elevate their game, some people tense up a little bit. But I think you’ve got to take pride in these opportunities in the playoffs. The ultimate goal is go win it, go out there and make a difference every single night, have fun with it, enjoy the moment. Don’t worry about whatever’s on your mind . Go out there and play the game, the game you’ve been playing since you were a little kid in your driveway. These are the moments you live for.”