When William Nylander slotted home his fifth goal of the postseason on Monday night against the Florida Panthers, he stuck his tongue out in celebration before being embraced by his linemate Max Pacioretty.
The 29-year-old has been red-hot all playoff long. During the first round against the Ottawa Senators, Nylander scored three goals and seven assists for 10 points in six games.
Two of his three goals in the series came in Game 6, when Toronto ended Ottawa’s season. His play is a testament to his work ethic all season long. What can’t be forgotten, too, is his ability to be a game-breaker when Toronto needs it most.
And after a strong start in Game 1 against the Panthers, which included a Nylander goal 33 seconds in, he continued the onslaught with another goal 12 minutes after.
Nylander finished the game with three points, putting himself in a three-way tie with Mikko Rantanen and Kyle Connor for the most points during the NHL playoffs.
“I don’t know about his golf game, but I would hate to bet against him in golf because he seems like he would never miss a small putt,” Max Pacioretty smiled on Tuesday morning, reflecting on Nylander’s performance throughout the playoffs.
The forward has never shied away from the pressure, either.
In early January, the Maple Leafs were boo’d off the ice inside Scotiabank Arena after a third straight loss. The next day, Nylander spoke with the media and addressed the losing streak, saying, “I mean, it’s only been three games, so what’s the big deal, really?”
In the following game, a 4-3 overtime win against the New Jersey Devils, Nylander had two goals and an assist, including the game-winner in the extra frame. Nothing appears to faze him.
“He’s got ice in his veins,” Pacioretty added Tuesday.
“Sometimes in the playoffs, after a good game like he had in Game 6, it’s easy to kind of sit back and say, ‘You know, I’m good here for a little bit.’ But he comes out and scores 30 seconds in, first shot of the game, and it kind of shows how clutch he is and how well he’s able to perform under pressure.”
It’s going to be a difficult series against the Panthers after what we witnessed in Game 1, with Anthony Stolarz going to the hospital after Sam Bennett’s forearm caught him in the head.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has mentioned it numerous times: it’s going to be a physically demanding series. Toronto needs to remain composed throughout the Panthers’ in-game shenanigans.
“Nothing bothers him. He just goes out and plays,” Berube said before Game 1 of the series.
“It may not be on that shift for him or the next shift, or even the one after that, but at some point, I think he understands that he’s going to get an opportunity, and when he does, he makes teams pay.”
They’ve done a good job of it, with Nylander at the forefront of their goal scoring in Game 1. It’ll be fascinating to see if it continues throughout the series as it gets tougher.
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