In or out? Nylander's status up in air as he skates ahead of Leafs' Game 2
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander is back on the ice.
Missing Game 1 of the playoffs for undisclosed reasons, Nylander’s absence on the Leafs’ bench was felt during his team’s 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
With Game 2 set for tonight, the 27-year-old practiced with the team, but was not placed on any particular line.
As per TSN’s Mark Masters, Nylander was seen passing the puck with projected scratch Noah Gregor. Meanwhile, head coach Sheldon Keefe practiced with the same lines he dressed in Game 1.
William Nylander NOT taking line rushes at skate … passing puck with projected scratch Noah Gregor
Leafs showing same lineup as Game 1 @TSN_Edge pic.twitter.com/8q2LLjimHF
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 22, 2024
After practice wrapped, Toronto’s bench boss said Nylander would likely be a game-time decision, as per Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
Sheldon Keefe leaves the door open to William Nylander potentially playing tonight: "We'll see how he feels here the rest of the day here and make a decision."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) April 22, 2024
Likely motivated to get back to 100%, Nylander was spotted at a highly optional Leafs’ skate yesterday morning in Boston as well.
After Saturday’s loss, Keefe was asked about how big a part Nylander’s absence played in his team’s disappointing performance.
“He’s a very good player and makes a big difference on our team,” Keefe said. “We’ve played without guys at different times and we’ve handled it very well… we didn’t handle it very well tonight. He’s one guy that we haven’t experienced playing without… we certainly missed him. But with all that said, he had nothing to do with us taking too many penalties or giving up a two-on-one.”
Nylander is coming off a career-best season with Toronto, which saw him net 40 goals and 98 points in 82 games.
Leafs 2024 first-round playoff schedule
- Game 2: Monday, April 22, Toronto at Boston, 7 pm ET
- Game 3: Wednesday, April 24, Boston at Toronto, 7 pm ET
- Game 4: Saturday, April 27, Boston at Toronto, 8 pm ET
- Game 5: Tuesday, April 30, Toronto at Boston, TBD*
- Game 6: Thursday, May 2, Boston at Toronto, TBD*
- Game 7: Saturday, May 4, Toronto at Boston, TBD*
*if necessary
Follow Channels and Categories