Over the last two decades, the Toronto Maple Leafs have found embarrassing ways to lose hockey games. If the referees hadn't caught a crucial mistake on Thursday night, they might've topped any other losses. The NHL doesn't allow its teams to change the game sheet once the opening puck drops, and shortly before that, William Nylander wasn't on the Maple Leafs' Game 6 roster.

Nylander's brother, Alex Nylander, played some games for the Maple Leafs this season. He is in the American Hockey League with the Toronto Marlies and hasn't been called up to the NHL team yet. However, the younger Nylander brother was on the team's roster before the game.

The coach submitting the electronic game sheet must have checked off Nylander #92 instead of Nylander #88. The off-ice officials would have caught the mistake instantly, and the Maple Leafs would've played the remainder of the game a player short. Even worse, Toronto would've been without one of its top players.

It's a mistake that would've instantly become a joke on social media if it happened in the regular season. The issue is that the Maple Leafs' situation before the game was no joke. The Leafs were on the cusp of choking away a 3-0 series lead, and Game 6 felt like a must-win game.

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William Nylander is a key player for the Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube speaks to his team during a timeout in the third period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre.
© Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Nylander had points in each of the first four games of this series, tallying five assists. The goalscorer couldn't find the back of the net, but he was at least contributing on the scoresheet. It would've been challenging for him to contribute to the scoresheet in Game 6 if he hadn't been on it.

There is nothing in the world that has more fitting moments than sports. In the ultimate twist of irony, Nylander finally found the scoresheet when he scored the game's second goal, then iced it with an empty-netter to send the Maple Leafs to the second round. It could've been a disaster for Toronto, but it all worked out in the end.