The hope is that some of that rubs off on Nylander.
"Alex is playing very well. His compete level to me is a hundred times better than it was at the start of the year," Taylor said. "Even though he was coming back from an injury and all of that, his compete level to me is finally getting on the inside, making plays, taking a big hit to make a play, and understanding that points don't matter."
Nylander (8-19-27 in 51 games) enters professional playoffs for the first time.
"You have to play on the walls, play defense, you have to play neutral zone - all those things add up to his offense," Taylor said. "So, I think those three guys combined together are going to make a good line.
"You've got a little grit from Baptiste, and a good two-way center with Blackwell and you've got a guy that's figuring out his offensive game by getting on the inside with Nylander that can score those goals if they get it out of the corner for him."
The last time Buffalo's first round pick (eighth overall in 2016), was in a playoff series was his draft year with Mississauga (OHL) when he produced six goals and 12 points in a six-game series.
Taylor is excited to see what he can do.
"He is 20, but he's got to understand, and we tell him all the time, he needs to be driving through guys hands, using his speed, challenge their D. Not only are you gonna beat them, but you're probably going to draw a penalty," he said.
"For him to get to the next level, that's what he's got to do. In the playoffs, we can't have him pull up. We need him driving all the time, and we will keep stressing that to him all the time."