The Senators left Toronto with a dominant win last night, and William Nylander's lazy actions in the third period may come back to haunt the Leafs in this series.
During his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, William Nylander has been a divisive figure, talented, but not always well-liked by everyone.
The 28-year-old right winger's reputation was cemented early on by a contract holdout in 2018 that cost him 28 games and a paltry 27 points in the 54 games he did appear in.
Nylander has since become one of the NHL's highest-scoring threats, posting back-to-back 40-goal seasons and a career high of 45 this year. During the recent playoff charge, he's racked up six points in five games.
However, his critics had more to chew on Tuesday night when Toronto's 4-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators forced a Game 6.
While the Leafs were shut out, one of the game's highlights was a shorthanded goal by Ottawa's Dylan Cozens, in which Nylander's poor defensive play stood out.
Following a power play turnover by Auston Matthews, Cozens and Adam Gaudette broke out on a two-man rush against Nylander and Mitch Marner.
Nylander stopped skating hallway through the backcheck
Although Nylander was in front initially, he could not keep up with the speed of Cozens and appeared to coast as the Senator forward scored to make it 2-0.
Whether fatigue or indecision was involved, it was a difficult spot in a game where Toronto struggled throughout the ice. Matthews admitted to his own error on the play, stating he didn't see Gaudette prior to passing the puck.
'Tried to find Mitchy up top. I thought we kinda drew them in. I didn't see the guy there. He obviously picked it off. That's on me. I gotta make a better play,' Matthews told reporters, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox.
If the Leafs rebound and win the series in six or seven games, Nylander's blown backcheck will be forgotten. But for now, it's just another flash point in his tumultuous time with the team.
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