The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning for the third consecutive time this season, winning 5-3 at Scotiabank Arena on Monday night. With the victory, the Leafs have scored five goals in each matchup and outscored their Atlantic Division opponent 15-8 over that stretch.
At the center of Monday’s victory was William Nylander, whose knack for breakaway getaways has been on full display recently. Scoring his fourth goal in three games, Nylander now has four of his last five tallies that have come off his breakaway magic against the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens, and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“It’s just instinct and the moment, I guess,” said Nylander post-game.
“Great defensive play by Stevie and Mo and we were able to poke it by, get some separation,” he added.
Head coach Craig Berube, who has marveled at Nylander’s ability to create one-on-one opportunities with the opposing goaltender, has dubbed the 28-year-old, “The Breakaway Man!”
“He reads the play really well and slashes out well on those plays. And then, a lot of times, he just wins a puck battle. His ability with his stick and his feet are high-end. Some of the things I see him do are pretty incredible,” Berube added.
The Swede has demonstrated an uncanny ability to create breakaway opportunities with ease, making it look almost effortless at the NHL level throughout his 10-year career.
“He’s really good at cheating for offense. I mean that in the best way possible,” said Auston Matthews. “He reads the plays and he’s obviously very fast, IQ, the way he just reads the play and is able to get behind you.”
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It isn’t the first time that Matthews has applauded Nylander’s unique ability, with the captain saying, “I don’t know who gets more breakaways in the NHL than this guy,” after Nylander’s game-winner on Thursday against New Jersey.
When asked about the Leafs’ recent three-game winning streak, Nylander jokingly compared it to the earlier three-game losing streak that caused some unrest among fans and media.
“It doesn’t matter, it’s three games,” he said, echoing his comments from the losing skid. “Good teams find their way out of this. And, I mean, it’s only been three games, so what’s the big deal, really?”
Bench boss Berube has also noticed a shift in the team’s energy and leadership during the winning streak and in the absence of veteran forward John Tavares, especially from core players like Nylander, Matthews, and Mitch Marner – who have a combined 17 points (9G, 8A) over that span.
“They’ve stepped up, for sure,” Berube said. “And they’ve done their job and we need them to. They got to lead the way every night. They’re the leaders, the top players, and they got to lead the way.”
With the goal marker on Monday, Nylander moved into sole possession of second place in goals scored this season across the NHL with 28, trailing only Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draistaitl (33).
In 48 games played, Nylander has 28 goals, 21 assists, and 49 points.
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