William Nylander scored two goals and Joseph Woll made 24 saves as the Toronto Maple Leafs won their second straight, beating the Seattle Kraken 4-1 at Scotiabank Arena. Matthew Knies scored his sixth of the season with 4.7 seconds left in the first period and the Maple Leafs never looked back, dominating the majority of the night, despite a late push by the Kraken. Both teams are back in action on Saturday night. The Maple Leafs will be on the road against the St. Louis Blues.
William Nylander and Line-Mates Lead the Way, Again
There has been much noise this week surrounding William Nylander’s public plea for more ice time and the frequent conversations between him and coach Craig Berube seemingly every day in practice. “We talked,” William Nylander said of the speculation. “It’s no big deal. It’s just conversations that happen.” William Nylander made his case on Thursday night, scoring two more goals, adding to an already impressive week. Whatever William Nylander and Berube spoke about, something clicked, and it’s showing in his game.
“Willy has played good hockey for us this year,” Berube said of the situation and William Nylander’s play. “I don’t have a problem with his game. I try to use my bench best I can. I think everybody’s important. And so I try to, you know, manage the bench that way. — People have roles. I use them in those roles. Willy played a good game tonight. The line was really good for us again.”
Excitement Surrounding the Leafs
The line Berube was talking about, led by William Nylander, is centered by John Tavares with Max Pacioretty on the other wing. In two games this week, the trio has combined for six goals and eight assists, which includes a goal and two assists on Thursday. Both goals looked almost the same with William Nylander’s line-mates finding him wide open on the left side of the Seattle net.
Tavares is in the last year of his contract, and over the last couple seasons his foot speed has been noticeably slower than in the past. That has resulted in dropping him to the third line and points this year. Games like this continue to prove that he can still produce and contribute at a high level. “Pretty solid,” said Berube of Tavares’ effort this season. “I thought before he got sick, he was fine, but the sickness affected him. He lost 10 pounds so it was energy-wise and stuff through three games or more (were affected). But he’s been heavy on pucks, strong on the puck, heavy stick, doing the little things right, face-offs, all good stuff.”
Knies Making Most Of His Opportunities
After his university season was over in the spring of 2023, Matthew Knies joined the Leafs and hasn’t looked back. He moved up and down the lineup last year, finishing the campaign with 15 goals and 35 points. So far this year, he already has six goals and seven points, and it’s the way he’s been playing that speaks louder than the production.
A big reason for his uptick in production is his promotion to the top line with Matthews and Marner. That was certainly the case with his goal on Thursday. Matthews won a face-off in the offensive end, recovered the puck after his original shot was blocked, and passed the puck to Marner, who made a brilliant one-touch pass to Knies for a tap-in goal. “It was a good play,” Berube said of the play. “Just a smart play by our captain on the draw, understanding and recognizing something. He makes a heads-up play, and we score. It was a big goal.” Matthew Knies hopes to be the beneficiary of Matthews’ heads-up plays all year long.
Final Thoughts
Joseph Woll’s first game between the pipes last week against St. Louis was forgettable for everyone involved, including Woll. Thursday night was the complete opposite, as the Leafs’ netminder stopped 24 pucks, notching his first win of the season. “A lot of resilience,” William Nylander said of Woll. “It can be hard getting hurt like that and then getting ready for the season, and then getting hurt right before the season starts. He has been great that way. Getting his body back in the gym every day, and the work ethic is there. That’s why he’s the goalie he is.”
It’s been hard for Woll to stay healthy over the last 12 months, getting hurt for the vast majority of last year, and right before Game 7 against the Bruins. Now that he’s back, he’s looking forward to the opportunity ahead of him. “I think now I understand there’s things you can control and there’s things you can’t, and sometimes when you get injuries, you can’t really control much,” Woll said.
“I know the work I put in, and I’m confident in that. I think naturally there’s a bit of emotion and disappointment and frustration and stuff when you do get hurt. As much as I can, I try to allow myself to feel those things and be human for a bit. And then you have to turn the page and look to what’s important to do that day and what gets you back.”
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