The most prominent storyline heading into tonight's game is the health of William Nylander. The star winger did not participate in the team's practice yesterday after he reportedly woke up in 'discomfort.' At the time, Sheldon Keefe called him a 'possibility' for game one.
This morning, Nylander was once again absent at morning skate. The Leafs head coach could not give an update on his status, sticking with the team's policy of not revealing injury statuses during the playoffs.
As such, media members and fans alike were left in the dark about Nylander's status until now. Just moments ago, the Leafs took the ice for warmups. Nylander was not with his teammates as he will not be participating in the game.
It should be very interesting to see how the Leafs do without Nylander in the lineup. Perhaps the more pressing matter though is how long will he be out? If he continues to miss games, the team will have a very difficult time winning the series.