Coach Keefe singles out Nylander after Maple Leafs' loss to Canadiens

Points-wide, William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs is having a great season. But, it seems his play at the other end of the ice is getting to Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe.

Keefe was particularly unimpressed with a play from Nylander on the first goal by Montreal in the Habs' 4-2 win. David Savard, who isn't exactly considered a big scoring threat, blew by Nylander from the blueline and scored on a great pass from Laurent Dauphin.

"It's tough," said Keefe when asked about Nylander's mistake on the play. "I mean, defensively, I don't know if we can play much better than that. Just how we controlled play, how we controlled the neutral zone — not a lot happening. That's a tough one to give up."

"But, to me, that was the third or fourth play like that for Will. And that's why it was time [to split Nylander and Tavares]. Things have been piling up for that line for a while. So, it was overdue."

Asked if he was getting the play he needed from Nylander, Keefe was pretty blunt.

"No. Not close," he replied.

"I don't need to pile on Will here," Keefe added. "He knows what makes him great, and he knows what he needs to get back to."

Nylander himself admitted he made a bad play on the Savard goal.

"I had a mistake on the backcheck. Didn't backcheck all the way," Nylander said. "That's a big factor. I gotta be there to stop the momentum."

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