Nylander's scoring drought a concern for some, but not for his teammates
With the Leafs preparing to face off against the Florida Panthers tonight, they'll look to even the series at one game apiece. A light has been shone on William Nylander's inability to produce in the last string of games, however, which has some in Leafs Nation concerned.
Nylander has gone three games without a point and five games without a goal since scoring in both of the first two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In game one on Tuesday against the Panthers, Nylander had a game-high seven shots along with a few fantastic chances but was held off the scoresheet.
Nylander and his teammates were asked about his lack of scoring and the answers were quick to shoot down the idea of any worry. As forward Auston Matthews stated, "Sometimes you just need to see one go in". Matthews makes a very good point as the Swedish sniper had the first 40-goal season of his career this year and knows how to put the puck in the net at a high level. "I don't think anyone is too worried about him," Matthews said of Nylander.
His captain, John Tavares has noticed a lot of things about Nylander's game that have been helping the team, saying "he's still making things happen & being dynamic & using his feet," so he doesn't appear to be too concerned over the recent reduction in scoring.
As long as the chances are there, the goals will eventually come for Nylander, and he's had his fair share over that five-game stretch. It's also worth noting that every player goes through slumps, but Nylander in particular almost always breaks his drought rather quickly.
Luckily for Nylander and the Leafs, it's still early as they look forward to Game 2 tonight. As a point per game player this season, Nylander will find the back of the net sooner rather than later. Nylander has shown himself to be a big moment player this year, scoring a number of OT winners for his club and converting on some excellent individual efforts. If he can continue to play with that killer instinct and utilize his talents to create some time and space for himself, Nylander will be fine and most importantly, so will the Leafs.
| POLL | ||
MAI 4 | 116 ANSWERS Nylander's scoring drought a concern for some, but not for his teammates Will William Nylander get on the scoresheet tonight? | ||
| Yes, absolutely | 72 | 62.1 % |
| No, I don't think so | 44 | 37.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
