William Nylander on outlook heading into Game 6: ‘They owned us; we have to put it on the line’

The Toronto Maple Leafs missed a golden opportunity to take advantage of home ice advantage and go up 3-2 on the Florida Panthers. Instead, it was arguably their worst game of the entire season, one in which William Nylander felt the Panthers owned the Maple Leafs from the opening puck drop.

Nylander spoke to reporters after the game and opened up about what transpired in an ugly Game 5.

“I think they came out hot in the first there, and we came out pretty good in the second, but they scored on their chances, and it kind of just got away from us. We just have to play better, that’s it.”

While Nylander felt the Leafs as a collective unit could have played better, he wasn’t shy to point out his frustration over having a couple of good looks, including a breakaway early on in the game. The Maple Leafs weren’t able to capitalize on a couple of grade-A chances in the first period, and from there, the Panthers dominated the game, and a key moment in the series got away from Toronto.

“I mean, I think we had chances today, when the game was close. That’s (the score) the only thing you can count and evaluate off of the game, but we had some chances. I hit the post, had a breakaway, whatever, it’s right there. It runs away from us when we’re not playing great. We’re still there battling, they’re playing great, we just to got to step it up.”

The Maple Leafs’ offence has dried up in the last two games, with just one goal through Games 4 and 5. Head coach Craig Berube put the lines in a blender to try and spark some chances, but it felt like anything the Leafs tried to stir up in Game 5 Wednesday night was quickly countered by a very structured and tenacious Panthers’ lineup. Florida has shown off their experience throughout the series to battle themselves into a 3-2 lead, after looking like a completely different team in the first two games of the second round. Nylander knows the Maple Leafs can battle their own way back and reverse the momentum of the series.

“I mean, we’ve played good hockey throughout the entire season. You know, battled. And, I think that we have it in us, we just got to put it on the line. It’s one game at a time, and one shift at a time to be honest with you. That’s all you got to think about.”

Nylander has been held off the scoresheet in the last two games, after registering six points in the first three games. Berube double-shifted him at times in Game 5, as the Maple Leafs’ bench boss has been trying to keep Nylander hot while Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews continue their struggles. While it wasn’t a pretty effort or result as the Panthers take the series lead 3-2, Nylander knows the series isn’t over, and Toronto is capable of turning the tide.

“Like I said, it’s the playoffs, it’s one game. They owned us today, we got to try and do that to them in Florida.”