After being crushed in their first game of their first-round playoff series, Toronto Maple Leafs fans are finally getting some answers on why William Nylander was absent from the lineup against the Boston Bruins.
The dreaded first-round matchup between Boston and Toronto could only be described as an utter disaster for the Maple Leafs, who caught themselves on the losing end of a 1-5 score. Though NHL fans have largely come to expect the Canadian team to lose to the Bruins, many attribute this travesty to one player missing from their first-shift lineup. This was William Nylander, who was out on suspected injury.
Now with the first game out of the way, former St. Louis Blues defenseman and NHL insider Jordan Schmaltz revealed the details behind Nylander's absence from the lineup. He claims that the player was off the ice recovering from an upper-body injury he likely sustained in a game during the regular season.
While it does provide Toronto fans some relief to know that Nylander is recovering and will likely be able to play in upcoming playoff games, his place in tonight's lineup is still in question. He was seen skating on the ice with his fellow Maple Leafs earlier today, but is still likely to sit tonight's game out.
The Maple Leafs and Bruins play their second game in their playoff series tonight. If Toronto wants to have a chance at keeping up with Boston without Nylander, they will likely have to focus and play harder than they ever have.
