One Stride Explains Jim Hiller’s Problem with Nylander

Well, this is one of those hockey arguments that can go on forever. In their second game of the season, the New York Islanders Emil Heineman beat William Nylander down the ice on a shorthanded rush, and suddenly everyone argues whether Nylander "dogged it" or simply looked over his shoulder at the wrong moment.

There is probably some truth on both sides. Nylander didn't stop skating. He didn't decide he wasn't going to backcheck. He was moving. But he let up for a moment, Heineman gained a step, and that one step became a goal. That's hockey.

One Stride Doesn't Look Like Much from Our TV Sets.

From the couch, one stride doesn't seem like much. In the NHL, it can be everything. Heineman scored with 5:51 left in a game when Toronto led 2-0. He beat Nylander down the ice, took Bo Horvat's pass and cut the lead in half. Toronto eventually held on for a 2-1 win.

The Maple Leafs didn't lose. But that's not really the point. The point is that defensive hockey is often about tiny decisions that don't look important until they're suddenly very important. Do you take one extra stride? Do you stay between the puck and the net? Do you assume your teammate has the play covered? Do you turn your head? Do you coast for half a second?

Coaches see those little decisions.

This Is Why Coaches Get Upset.

Players sometimes get frustrated when a coach focuses on something that seems so small. Fans do the same thing. But coaches live in those little moments.

A player can have a great game and still make one decision that costs a goal. Conversely, a player can go almost unnoticed on the scoresheet while making 20 little defensive decisions correctly. That's why the argument over whether Nylander was "dogging it" is probably missing the point.

Call it what you want. Heineman got a step. The Islanders scored. And Jim Hiller decided the mistake was serious enough that Nylander didn't see the ice again.

That doesn't necessarily mean Hiller was angry. It doesn't necessarily mean Nylander was being punished. It means the coach saw something he didn't want repeated.

That's the Part Worth Watching with Hiller and Nylander.

Nylander is too good offensively for the Maple Leafs to turn him into somebody he isn't. But nobody is asking him to become a shutdown defenceman. The expectation is much simpler. When the situation demands it, keep skating.

One more stride. A little more effort. One more little decision that keeps the puck out of your net.

That's the funny thing about hockey. Sometimes the difference between a good defensive play and a goal against isn't a spectacular hit or a brilliant read. Sometimes it's just one stride.

And in the NHL, one stride can be the whole story. What we don’t know yet with the Maple Leafs is how this story will end. Toronto plays Ottawa tonight, and we get a chance to see the next chapter.