"Time to lose to daddy Pastrnak" "Sick of this guy": NHL fans react as William Nylander joins Sweden at IIHF Worlds for playoffs

William Nylander has joined Team Sweden ahead of the quarterfinals at the IIHF Men’s World Hockey Championship. He arrived after the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the NHL playoffs on Sunday. Sweden announced his addition to the roster on Wednesday, and he is expected to play in Thursday’s game against Czechia.

Nylander had a strong season with the Maple Leafs. He had 84 points, with 45 goals and 39 assists in 82 regular-season games. In the playoffs, he added 15 points, scoring 6 goals over 13 games. Now, he shifts his focus to international play as Sweden prepares for the knockout stage.

This will be Nylander’s fourth time playing at the world championship. He helped Sweden win gold in 2017. Earlier this year, he played in the 4 Nations Face-Off and recorded two assists in three games. Sweden hopes his experience and skill will make a difference in the playoff round.

Sweden finished second in Group A with a 6-1-0 record. Their only loss came in a 5-3 game against Canada. Czechia, their quarter-final opponent, placed third in Group B and also lost only once during the group stage. It will be a close matchup between two strong teams.

Following the news, NHL fans reacted to Nylander’s move on X (formerly Twitter).

"Just in time to lose to his daddy Pastrnak tomorrow. Congratulations Willy," a fan said.

"So sick of this guy. Just stay on the plane back to Sweden," another fan commented.

"He rested the last 4 games of the Florida series so he should be good to go," one user commented.

Here are some more reactions from fans on X.

"Su*ks for Sweden, he doesn’t typically show up in championship rounds," a fan said.

"Pastrňák went and won it on home soil, here's hoping Willy can do the same," another fan commented.

"The only team with Blue that Willy wants to play for," a fan tweeted.

William Nylander reflects on Leafs’ Game 7 loss

The Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs after a 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7. The team gave up a 2-0 series lead and lost two home games by the same 6-1 scoreline. It was another disappointing finish for a group that led the Atlantic Division in the regular season.

William Nylander spoke to reporters during exit interviews on Tuesday. He described the final game as:

“It was a sh*tty game. That’s about it."

Florida scored four unanswered goals, and William Nylander felt the team couldn’t match their level after that.

William Nylander also admitted he didn’t produce when it mattered most. He had no points in Games 4 through 7.