William Nylander says Maple Leafs improvement in chance generation paid off in win over Penguins

With the fan base on edge and people’s jobs on the line, the Leafs played with a chip on their shoulders and were able to get the rebounds in their favor. Nylander led the way in the afternoon with four points, including his first two goals of December, after going 11 games without a goal.

He told reporters after the match that it is a performance they can build on when the holiday ends on Saturday.

“I think it was a nice way to start the break,” he said. “I think we have created chances better in the last few games, but we have not been able to score. So it is nice that that happened tonight.”

“Obviously he was a great guy and sad to see him go,” Nylander said of Savard. “But I mean, we’ve been struggling. So I think this is the first step to make a change that will work for the team.”

There’s still a lot of work to do for Nylander and the Leafs if they want to make it 10 straight playoff appearances, but a good atmosphere at Christmas is never a bad thing.

“Bringing pucks to the net more than anything,” head coach Craig Berube said of what stood out about Nylander’s play. “Getting open, driving to the net. That line makes a lot of plays, which is nice to see.”

Nylander will look to continue his dominant performance on Saturday when the Leafs take on the Ottawa Senators, with puck drop set for 7:00 PM EST.

PRESENTED BY OFF THE ROSTER