TORONTO — William Nylander was still catching his breath on the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ bench after scoring the Game 7–triggering goal when, upon noticing that Scotiabank Arena had flashed his image on the Jumbotron, he held an open gloved hand up to his ear.
The arena was already going bonkers, witnessing a dramatic script getting flipped in real-time, but much like prime Hulk Hogan — another blond athletic superstar who prefers his tarps off and his comebacks theatrical — Nylander wanted to hear more.
Scoring both Maple Leafs goals in Thursday’s airtight, win-or-stay-home Game 6 in stylish fashion, Nylander may have been late to put his stamp on this series. But his performance — heck, the whole squad’s performance — in a gutsy 2-1 victory now has the Boston Bruins on the ropes.
Toronto is but a leg drop away.
“Incredible. Big-time stuff. That’s what you’re looking for from a player of his calibre,” marvelled coach Sheldon Keefe, who could’ve said nice things about his players all night if he didn’t have a plane to catch.
“He’s a heckuva game-breaker. When he’s got the puck on his stick, he can make something happen at any time. Two elite finishes for us tonight,” added captain John Tavares. “Not surprising. Love having him.”
No Auston Matthews, no problem.
Believe it or not, the Maple Leafs have put forth their best back-to-back efforts all season, and they’ve arrived with their Hart Trophy candidate sidelined curiously and indefinitely.
“They pulled together. They fought. They didn’t accept their fate. They changed it,” Keefe said. “I think it’s a reflection of the character of the group.”
That character was not just under the microscope the last time this back-and-forth, defensive clinic of a series hit Toronto. It was getting harshly criticized.
Keefe knew what the city was saying about his hockey team. Behind closed doors, the desperate coach challenged an underachieving group: “You’re going to be remembered one way or the other. So, how do you want that to be and to look?”
In Game 6, it looked like keeping the Bruins to one measly shot in the first period. It looked highly disciplined, as Toronto committed just one minor penalty (a trip by goalie Joseph Woll). It looked sacrificial, as the Leafs out-shot-blocked the B’s 27-14.
In the Series Where Goals Go to Die, it looked downright resilient and committed and unified.
Moreover, if you’re running up against this sudden blue wave of inspiration, it looks formidable.
“Toronto is starting on time. They’re getting the advantage. They have the momentum. I thought the last 30 minutes we pushed back really well. It shouldn’t take that long,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “They’ve won more battles. They spent more time in our O-zone, which has forced us to defend. We don’t have as much juice going the other way.
“Right now, we’re not happy with our game.”
The thing is, until this recent star turn, Nylander wasn’t happy with his game either. He limped out of the 82-game marathon frustrated at coming two points shy of 100 and not snapping his career-high of 40 goals. He’d been on a worrisome 13-game goal drought.
Call it coasting. Or maybe just waiting for something to show up for.
Worse, his head hurt so fiercely, he couldn’t so much as dress in Games 1 through 3.
“Sucks being on the sidelines,” Nylander said.
Nylander was lost in Game 4, then showed flashes in Game 5. No scoring plays, but he pinged a crossbar. Had some legs.
“I thought he took some steps. He was far better in terms of moving his feet and creating chances. He’s looking for one to break and go his way,” Keefe said pregame, encouraged.
That break arrived when Nylander busted a 0-0 tie with a whippy wrister that nicked off defenceman Charlie McAvoy and beat goalie Jeremy Swayman with 55 seconds left in the second.
It cracked for good when Nylander drove up the gut and screamed at Matthew Knies to pass him the puck in stride for a breakaway finish.
“All I had to do was put it on his stick,” Knies said. “Remarkable. Threw a big hit. Scored two goals. You can’t ask for much more from him.”
Keefe approved: “When he plays like that, offence finds him.”
Now the pressure to find offence is shared equally, both coaches ar on the hot seat and both clubs are searching for ways to beat a dialled-in goalie.
Desperation is set for Saturday night at TD Garden.
“It’s more of their mentality of having to fight with their backs against the wall,” Boston D-man Kevin Shattenkirk said. “That’s the mentality we have to bring ourselves.”
Game Seven: The most exhilarating and most painful two words in team sports.
“It’s special,” Nylander smiled. “I don’t know if we’ve won one yet, so we’re up for the test.”
Fox’s Fast Five
• In Boston, it’ll be the series’ other No. 88 splashing headlines.
“Pasta needs to step up,” Montgomery challenged from the post-game podium.
The coach is still waiting on a big-time moment from his team’s MVP, David Pastrnak. After juggling linemates around him to no avail, he called his greatest talent out.
“He needs to be the dominant player that we’re used to. He’s doing it in flurries,” Montgomery said. “He’s not doing as consistently as he did in the regular season.”
Pastrnak put up a pair of goals and assists through the series’ first four games but has gone pointless in both close-out games. On Thursday he sat in the box for a double high-sticking minor. He is a minus-1 in the series.
Credit the Maple Leafs for executing their defensive game plan on No. 88. Things are getting tense on the other side.
“Maybe I should have a little bit more shooting mentality,” Pastrnak said. “Usually, that always helps me.”
• We’ll keep harping on Toronto’s power play, which is a tough watch, boy.
It’s remarkable the Maple Leafs have three wins considering their power-play is now 1-for-20.
The Leafs have earned six more power plays than the Bruins in this series but have failed to bend that to their advantage.
• More good news in Leafland: Toronto’s top prospect, Easton Cowan, was awarded the Red Tilson Trophy as 2023-24’s most outstanding player in the Ontario Hockey League.
• Woll became the first goaltender in NHL history to make each of his first four playoff starts in an elimination game. Make that record five come Saturday.
Poor guy had his would-be shutout wiped off the board when Morgan Geekie pushed a puck over the line with 0.1 seconds remaining in regulation.
Woll shrugged it off, saying his mind is only focused on wins.
• Did Swayman just guarantee a Game 7 victory?
“As a collective group, it’s our job to play better than theirs,” Swayman told me, still smiling after consecutive losses.
“That’s motivation that gets us up — and that’s what is going to make it feel so special when we do beat these guys next game.”