The Toronto Maple Leafs nearly shot themselves in the foot Thursday night before their crucial Game 6 against the Ottawa Senators – and it had nothing to do with what happened on the ice.
In a mix-up that could’ve been disastrous, team officials accidentally listed star forward William Nylander as a scratch while putting his brother Alex in the lineup instead.
The error was caught during warmups when William was skating on the ice, not sitting in the press box where scratched players watch the game.
Talk about a close call. If they hadn’t fixed the lineup card before puck drop, William would’ve been kicked out of the game the moment he stepped on the bench. The Leafs would’ve been forced to play short-handed in what was arguably their biggest game of the year.
Instead, William went on to prove exactly why he’s so valuable. He buried two goals – one in the second period and another in the third – helping Toronto knock out Ottawa with a 4-2 win to advance to the next round.
Sure, having brothers on the roster can make paperwork tricky. But this is the Stanley Cup playoffs, where every detail matters – especially for a Leafs team that’s faced more pressure than any other squad in this year’s postseason.
The mistake could’ve added another painful chapter to Toronto’s long history of playoff disappointments. Luckily for them, someone caught it just in time.
