TORONTO – William Nylander took a pass from John Tavares and headed towards the net.
The Maple Leafs winger then deftly fed the puck against the grain on the tee for Mitch Marner to blast a one-timer from a sharp angle.
The power-play sequence was merely a practice exercise. It was one of many positive signs for the player – and a team that entered the playoffs without one of its key contributors.
Nylander is set to return to action for Game 4 on Saturday against the Boston Bruins, with Toronto facing a 2-1 loss in the teams’ first-round series after he missed the first half due to an undisclosed injury. Had missed three matches.
Nothing was confirmed on the 27-year-old’s status on Friday — such updates are treated like state secrets in the NHL post-season — but all signs point to the talented forward returning to the field.
“Feels great,” Nylander said after practice. “Watching the game from home is crazy. I have never been so nervous in my life.”
The Swede did not discuss what has kept him out of the lineup, but said it has not been a pleasant experience. The Leafs lost the best-of-seven opener 5-1 in Boston, bounced back with a 3-2 win in Game 2 and then lost 4-2 in Toronto on Wednesday.
“I don’t like it,” he said of the look. “The first game was crazy. We had a lot of chances in those first two minutes. My heart just… I don’t know what was going on.”
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The Swede’s arrival in the series will provide a boost to Toronto’s attack, which has allowed six goals in nine periods and just 1 of 11 goals on the power play.
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“Very important player for us,” Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “But getting him back completely healthy and making sure he’s ready to step into this caliber of series and at this time of year… that will be the next step.”
Nylander scored 40 goals for the second consecutive campaign and set a career high with 98 points in 2023–24.
“A world-class player,” Tavares said. “Our development will continue and he will become an impact player for us. One of the league’s great game-breakers. “We have seen it throughout his tenure here.”
Nylander, who skated on a line with countrymen Calle Jarnkrok and Pontus Holmberg before Game 3 and again on Friday, has missed time due to illness at various points in his career, but the injury sidelined him from November 2016 until this series. had not been.
“It’s really tough to miss these first games in the playoffs,” he said. “This is the time when you want to play. Hopefully, I will be back soon.”
Tavares knows what it’s like to watch from a distance. The Toronto captain suffered head and neck injuries in his team’s first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens in 2021, in which the Leafs lost in seven games despite leading 3-1.
“You have no influence on the game,” he said. “The kind of brotherhood you build and develop here is not easy.”
Despite not being involved to date, Nylander has remained patient.
“It is what it is,” he said. “There’s really nothing to stress about. Can’t force yourself to get back into the game. I’ll be ready when I’m ready.”
So what will be the biggest challenge when Nylander returns to the lineup?
“Nothing,” he replied. “I’m fine.”
Matthews sits
Leafs star Auston Matthews (maintenance day) missed practice.
The 26-year-old had two goals, including the winner, to go along with an assist in Game 2 before being held off the scoresheet on Wednesday.
“He’s given us everything he’s got,” Keefe said of the 69-goal scorer. “You want to make sure that as a coaching staff and as a medical staff we give him every opportunity to perform at his best.”
family time
With two days off between Games 3 and 4, Leafs defenseman Ilya Libushkin flew to California to be with his wife following the birth of their daughter.
Keefe expects the tough Russian to be available Saturday.
Brody in?
Veteran blueliner TJ Brodie sat out the first three games of the series as a healthy scratch, but is likely to replace Timothy Liljegren in the lineup.
remembering a legend
Legendary play-by-play man Bob Cole died this week at the age of 90. Tavares said that like many Canadian children, his earliest memories of watching hockey included the voice of the legendary broadcaster.
“It was the coolest thing when I heard Bob Cole call my name for the first time,” said Tavares, the No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft. “Always remember dreaming of playing in the NHL growing up and watching Hockey Night in Canada as a young kid.”
“That passion and love for the game.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2024.
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