It's time for Jim Hiller to slash William Nylander's ice time

After dropping the first four games of a brutal homestand against some of the NHL's elite, and not earning a single point, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller is leaning on a player-friendly approach to pull his club out of a potentially season-wrecking tailspin.

Now 20 games into the schedule, the Maple Leafs are languishing near the basement of the Atlantic Division as a playoff berth slips further out of reach with each lost game. With the critical U.S. Thanksgiving benchmark fast approaching, patience is no longer an option. It is time for Hiller to abandon the gentle touch and take a more drastic measure, like slashing ice time, to light a fire under his underperforming veteran…