'Something We Have To Sort Out': William Nylander, Jim Hiller Explain Maple Leafs' Costly Breakdown On Wild's Game-Winning Goal

The Toronto Maple Leafs saw a similar story to the rest of this homestand in their result against the Minnesota Wild in Thursday's 5-2 loss.

It was a contest in which the players and head coach felt they competed hard and weren't very dysfunctional.

"I think it's been like three of the last four or five where, probably, played well enough, but it's not good enough, clearly." Leafs coach Jim Hiller said after the game.

The Wild's game-winning goal came off a defensive-zone breakdown by the Maple Leafs, early in the third period, with right winger William in the spotlight.

Wild right winger Ryan Hartman skated up the ice with the puck along the right wall, with Nylander tracking him. Right after Hartman entered Toronto's zone, he made a drop pass to left winger Matt Boldy.

Once Boldy received the puck, the path for him to the goal opened wider as he inched closer. Nylander had faded off to his right, continuing to watch Hartman. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson also went to cover Hartman, leaving Boldy all alone, and scoring the game-winning goal, as well as completing his hat trick.

"I think it was a weird sort of situation that happened," Nylander assessed the situation. "I mean, tracking Hartman, he goes into the middle, and, I think it's between me and O (Ekman-Larsson), miscommunication on that one, who should take Boldy and who should take Hartman. So it's something we have to sort out, obviously."

This defensive breakdown gets further under the microscope, considering Nylander's on-ice goals-against numbers this season.

Going into Toronto's game against Minnesota, Nylander led all NHL forwards with the most goals allowed while he's on the ice at even strength, with 25 goals. After Thursday's loss, that number jumped up to 27.

So this breakdown is far more than a one-off for the Swede, to the point where no other forward in the league has been on the ice for an even-strength goal against as many as he has.

Hiller saw the scenario a little bit differently. In his assessment, he believes the team's coverage was already messed up from the neutral zone.

"Yeah, we screwed that up in the neutral zone, to be honest with you," the Leafs bench boss said. "It shouldn't have got to that point. Once it got to that point, it makes it hard. But we should have cleaned that up earlier. There's a chance to clean that up earlier. I'll just leave it at that."

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