The playoffs are about simplifying your game since time and space are non existent and you need to forget the highlight reel plays.
Marner has a difficult time adjusting his style of play and too often turned the puck over in the playoffs trying the fancy play.
Watching the final 4 in the playoffs the teams play a simpler game. Come through the neutral zone, if no plays are avaialble dump it in and get a forecheck going. The Leafs, and players like Marner, love the possession game and don't adjust to dump and chase when required. Hence the puck is turned over and the play is coming back at us, putting more pressure on our overmatched D core.
And Nylander.....only turns it on when he manages to find open ice, which is rare in the playoffs. The rest of the game he is a passenger doing high speed fly-bys
It seems to me a serious cup contender has a balance of a few factors such as skill, grit, work ethic, solid D, solid goaltending. If you have too much of one at the sacrifice of other elements it is difficult to be serious contender. The Leafs : excess in the skill department, lacking in the grit and solid D. Solution : use your excess to address your weaknesses, balance out your team and increase your ability to be a serious contender.
Think about what could be done with Nylander's upcoming cap hit, how that money could be better spent to produce a team that is more playoff ready.
Just my 2 cents from a beer leaguer/ arm chair observer.
