There were hints of this coming, a break-up, that is, of Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
Before the Leafs met the Blues on Saturday evening, Mike Babcock was asked what Nylander did well when he was effective and here's what he told reporters in St. Louis:
“It's called compete. You know, this game is so simple, you can watch all the skill in the world, but if you put your skill in front of your work, you're no good. If you put your work in front of your skill – that's winning 50/50 pucks, that's your forecheck, that's your track, it's your compete every night — if you do that, your skill comes out.