Maple Leafs star William Nylander proved NHL players are willing to play through everything during the Stanley Cup Playoffs – even food poisoning caused by a case of bad sushi.
Nylander apparently was sick to his stomach before Game 1, but fought through it and was a key part of the Maple Leafs 5-0 win over the Lightning.
"Just needed a little rest ... I was puking that day," he told reporters on Wednesday. "It's Game 1, you have to be ready."
Added Nylander, "I mean, it’s Game 1, you’ve got to be ready to go. Of course it gets to you. But it is what it is."
Teammate Jake Muzzin, who's been there, said Nylander had no choice but to play, given the stakes.
“You gotta do it," Muzzin said Wednesday. "Doesn’t matter.”
Although kept off the scoresheet, Nylander had four shots on goal, one hit and one blocked shot through 15:36 of ice time in Game 1.
Game 2 in the series is Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on Sportsnet.
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