Elliotte Friedman and other NHL experts discuss drastic effect of William Nylander's absence: "That has a lot to do with what's gone wrong"

The Boston Bruins handed a 5-1 loss to the William Nylander-less Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening game of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. While Nylander’s absence may not have been the sole reason behind the Leafs’ poor showing on Saturday, Elliotte Friedman and other NHL experts think it may have unsettled the players before the game.

William Nylander was left out of the lineup on short notice, just a few hours before their first game of the postseason, due to an ‘undisclosed’ injury. During Sportsnet’s ‘Hockey Night in Canada’, Elliotte Freidman discussed Nylander’s absence with Kevin Bieksa and New Jersey Devils’ Jake Allen – the latest addition to the show.

“He comes down with something, and for the first time in 8 years, he’s not playing, and he’s a huge part of your team. And I've got to think while that's not everything that's gone wrong here, that has a lot to do with what's gone wrong here,” Friedman said.

Allen seconded Friedman's statement that Nylander is a huge part of the team. He also mentioned that having him sit out on such short notice was a big loss for the team.

“You know, he's a game-breaker. He's the guy with the pucks on the stick. He can change the game in the blink of an eye. And to have him not part of your lineup at a last-second's notice is not only, obviously, changing your lineup, but for the coaching staff, for the players, for the system you play, it's a big loss, and I think we're seeing a little bit right now,” Jake Allen remarked.

Kevin Bieska weighed in on the change in atmosphere as well as Nylander’s absence from the lineup:

“There's a lot of distractions in the playoffs, in the first round on the road in Boston, and this is just another distraction because the routines change. You're used to seeing a guy in the locker room every game, whether he's the guy that passes the puck, whether he's the guy that stands and knuckles everybody, it's just a distraction to the routine,” Bieksa said.

Bieska also pointed out that Nylander's style of play, which typically involves carrying the puck through the neutral zone and generating offensive opportunities, was a key component lacking in the Leafs' game against the Bruins.

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William Nylander’s ‘undisclosed’ injury

Initially, Nylander and Bobby McMann were labeled ‘possibilities’ for the Leafs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs. However, it was reported that coach Sydney Keefe had received instructions from Brad Treliving not to reveal injury updates during the playoffs.

William Nylander may have felt some discomfort on the day off following the previous game, possibly due to a minor injury. Importantly, this discomfort was not something he had been experiencing while actively playing, and that’s possibly a silver lining.

If the Leafs want to break their infamous 65-year-long playoff series win-drought against the Boston Bruins this season, they need William Nylander to return and provide an offensive spark.