Nylander says hat trick ‘super special’ in Calgary

CALGARY – Eight years to the time of his archetypal vocation NHL chapeau trick, William Nylander notched his 2nd connected Tuesday and it came successful the aforesaid gathering successful which his dada utilized to play.

Nylander’s large night, giving him 33 goals connected the season, helped the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 6-3 NHL triumph implicit the Calgary Flames.

Only Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (37 goals) has lit the reddish airy much this season.

“Obviously it’s ace special,” said Nylander, who has 9 goals successful his past 8 games. “Born present and scoring my 2nd vocation chapeau instrumentality 8 years aft my archetypal 1 is beauteous wild.”

His archetypal three-goal nighttime was connected the roadworthy successful Boston.

While this 1 besides came distant from Scotiabank Arena, it was a home-game of sorts for the 28-year-old Nylander, who was calved successful Calgary portion his dad, Michael, played for the Flames.

Adding to that acquainted consciousness were the boisterous Leafs supporters who injected ample throngs of bluish into what’s usually a oversea of red. Many of those fans past near the arena with thing connected their caput aft Nylander’s last extremity into an bare nett brought Leafs hats raining down onto the ice.

“We person a immense following, the champion fans successful the league,” said Nylander. “So the enactment we get wherever we play is tremendous. To spot those hats travel down is special.”

On that last extremity with 44 seconds remaining, Nylander muscled the puck distant from MacKenzie Weegar astatine the Toronto bluish enactment and raced distant connected a breakaway.

“He’s got a lethal shot, we each cognize that. He tin bent onto pucks,” said Leafs manager Craig Berube. “That past extremity was a hard puck battle. Good occupation by him with the goalie out. Sealed the game.”

That unsafe changeable was connected show twice. His archetypal extremity connected the powerfulness play, astatine 2:36 of the 2nd that tied the crippled 1-1, bushed rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf connected his blocker side.

His 2nd connected an odd-man unreserved that made it 4-2 with 1:42 remaining successful the mediate period, cleanly bushed Wolf connected his mitt side.

“I was conscionable laughing arsenic yesterday successful practice, helium scored connected maine similar each clip helium changeable connected me, said goaltender Joseph Woll, who had 23 saves. “So arsenic soon arsenic helium got the puck connected the 2-on-1, there’s nary question helium was going to score.”

Bobby McMann, aforesaid property arsenic Nylander, but successful his archetypal afloat NHL season, says helium has learned a batch already from watching his Swedish teammate shoot.

“That’s what I’ve watched the astir is however helium baits the goalie for a fractional second. He leans into it, but past holds it for a 2nd conscionable earlier helium shoots. I deliberation it throws the goalie disconnected a small bit,” said McMann. “Just the timing of erstwhile helium releases the puck is thing I’m trying to prime up on.”

Trending Now

McMann displayed a likewise unsafe changeable successful ripping a changeable past Wolf connected a two-on-one astatine 12:28 of the 2nd that broke a 2-2 necktie and gave the Leafs the pb for good.

“He makes it look casual each time. It’s crazy,” said McMann, who is up to a career-best 16 goals connected the season. “Sometimes helium conscionable holds that shot, oregon conscionable finds those small spots conscionable supra the pad oregon beneath the glove.”

In his 10th NHL season, Nylander’s vocation precocious is 40 goals, which he’s had each of the past 2 seasons. Tuesday’s large nighttime has him connected gait to eclipse 50.

“He capitalized connected each accidental helium had,” said Matthew Knies, who besides scored.

John Tavares rounded retired the scoring for the Leafs. Auston Matthews chipped successful with 3 assists.

Toronto’s large nighttime comes without right-winger Mitch Marner (lower-body injury) arsenic the club’s starring scorer missed his archetypal crippled of the season.

Berube doesn’t expect Marner to beryllium retired precise long, saying helium could beryllium backmost arsenic soon arsenic Thursday erstwhile the Leafs play the Kraken successful Seattle.

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Feb. 4, 2025.