TORONTO – Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube pulled William Nylander aside for a couple of long chats at Monday’s morning skate.
Toronto’s star winger was coming off an eight-shot, zero-point showing in a 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers over the weekend.
Berube didn’t have an issue with how Nylander was playing. The message was about some of the details in his game.
The puck then bounced his way Monday night.
Nylander opened the scoring and assisted on his team’s second goal before adding another of his own in the Leafs’ 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in a battle of Atlantic Division heavyweights.
“We came out pretty good,” Nylander said. “We played quick.”
The 28-year-old now has a team-leading five goals through six games for Toronto, which improved to 4-2-0 on the season after a 3-1-0 homestand.
“He had a ton of opportunities again,” Berube said. “Skating really well, strong on pucks, getting to open ice, and he’s looking to shoot.”
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The first-year coach brought into the fold to get more out of the Leafs’ talented core has been happy with Nylander’s play, but said there were areas Nylander can get better without the puck.
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Monday was a step in that direction.
“Strong defensively and in good position,” said Berube, who won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. “He broke some plays up with his stick … and got opportunities the other way.”
Leafs winger Matthew Knies said seeing a player of Nylander’s offensive pedigree emphasize the game’s finer, less-glamorous points gets everyone’s attention.
“Skated well, defended well, made some plays, got pucks on net,” Knies said. “He has incredible skill, but when he does those simple things like that, it’s contagious.”
Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz — the team’s other star Monday with a 32-save performance — has watched Nylander’s career from afar until this season.
“His poise, his confidence with the puck,” Stolarz said of what’s jumped out about the slick forward’s approach. “He can absolutely fire a puck. He’s just so smart in practice. He’s always pushing and pulling in. It’s just a tough release to read.
“Happy he’s on my side now.”
PATCHED UP
Leafs winger Max Pacioretty returned to the lineup after sitting out the last two games as a healthy scratch.
The 35-year-old former Montreal Canadiens captain, who earned a contract in Toronto after a professional tryout in training camp, scored his second goal of the season Monday on a long shot that chased Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy in the second period.
“He was a good player for us,” Berube said of Pacioretty. “He was physical, had some big hits, and was strong … he’s an effective player.”
IN THE MOMENT
Stolarz improved to 3-2-0 with a .938 save percentage and 1.79 goals-against average as fellow goaltender Joseph Woll continues to work his way back from a groin injury that’s kept him out of the regular-season lineup.
“Just try to enjoy each and every day,” said the 30-year-old Stolarz, a career backup before 2024-25. “It’s a privilege to play in this league. We have such a good group here that it makes it a lot of fun to come to the rink every day.
“Our mission is to do a lot of big things this year. I think games like (Monday) are a nice stepping stone in the right direction.”
Berube said before the game Woll could return to action Tuesday when Toronto visits the Columbus Blue Jackets.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
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