Nylander finds the range against Lightning

TORONTO – Maple Leafs caput manager Craig Berube pulled William Nylander speech for a mates of agelong chats astatine Monday’s greeting skate.

Toronto’s prima winger was coming disconnected an eight-shot, zero-point showing successful a 4-1 nonaccomplishment to the New York Rangers implicit the weekend.

Berube didn’t person an contented with however Nylander was playing. The connection was astir immoderate of the details successful his game.

The puck past bounced his mode Monday night.

Nylander opened the scoring and assisted connected his team’s 2nd extremity earlier adding different of his ain successful the Leafs’ 5-2 triumph implicit the Tampa Bay Lightning successful a conflict of Atlantic Division heavyweights.

“We came retired beauteous good,” Nylander said. “We played quick.”

The 28-year-old present has a team-leading 5 goals done six games for Toronto, which improved to 4-2-0 connected the play aft a 3-1-0 homestand.

“He had a ton of opportunities again,” Berube said. “Skating truly well, beardown connected pucks, getting to unfastened ice, and he’s looking to shoot.”

The first-year manager brought into the fold to get much retired of the Leafs’ talented halfway has been blessed with Nylander’s play, but said determination were areas Nylander tin get amended without the puck.

Monday was a measurement successful that direction.

“Strong defensively and successful bully position,” said Berube, who won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues successful 2019. “He broke immoderate plays up with his instrumentality … and got opportunities the different way.”

Leafs winger Matthew Knies said seeing a subordinate of Nylander’s violative pedigree stress the game’s finer, less-glamorous points gets everyone’s attention.

“Skated well, defended well, made immoderate plays, got pucks connected net,” Knies said. “He has unthinkable skill, but erstwhile helium does those elemental things similar that, it’s contagious.”

Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz — the team’s different prima Monday with a 32-save show — has watched Nylander’s vocation from afar until this season.

“His poise, his assurance with the puck,” Stolarz said of what’s jumped retired astir the slick forward’s approach. “He tin perfectly occurrence a puck. He’s conscionable truthful astute successful practice. He’s ever pushing and pulling in. It’s conscionable a pugnacious merchandise to read.

“Happy he’s connected my broadside now.”

PATCHED UP

Leafs winger Max Pacioretty returned to the lineup aft sitting retired the past 2 games arsenic a steadfast scratch.

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The 35-year-old erstwhile Montreal Canadiens captain, who earned a declaration successful Toronto aft a nonrecreational tryout successful grooming camp, scored his 2nd extremity of the play Monday connected a agelong changeable that chased Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy successful the 2nd period.

“He was a bully subordinate for us,” Berube said of Pacioretty. “He was physical, had immoderate large hits, and was beardown … he’s an effectual player.”

IN THE MOMENT

Stolarz improved to 3-2-0 with a .938 prevention percent and 1.79 goals-against mean arsenic chap goaltender Joseph Woll continues to enactment his mode backmost from a groin wounded that’s kept him retired of the regular-season lineup.

“Just effort to bask each and each day,” said the 30-year-old Stolarz, a vocation backup earlier 2024-25. “It’s a privilege to play successful this league. We person specified a bully radical present that it makes it a batch of amusive to travel to the rink each day.

“Our ngo is to bash a batch of large things this year. I deliberation games similar (Monday) are a bully stepping chromatic successful the close direction.”

Berube said earlier the crippled Woll could instrumentality to enactment Tuesday erstwhile Toronto visits the Columbus Blue Jackets.

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Oct. 21, 2024.

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