The Leafs had a well-deserved day off on Sunday ahead of their back-to-back games against the New Jersey Devils. I say well-deserved because their sensational 7-4 comeback win against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, thanks to a Michael Bunting hat trick.
Despite the Leafs being given the day off, forward William Nylander was out on the ice by himself working on his shooting and puck handling, which goes a long way to disprove the longstanding myth that Nylander "doesn't care".
Nylander has a history of practicing on off days. This much was confirmed by the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan on Sunday. The young Swede is an absolute workhorse, despite the rumours circulating to the contrary.
If we're finally recognizing the work ethic of Nylander, it's no wonder why he has been on another level this season as his strong play carried over from last year's playoffs. He has spent time on the wing with both Auston Matthews and John Tavares, but has recently been moved to a line with Alexander Kerfoot and David Kampf, and he's seemed to welcome every challenge that head coach Sheldon Keefe has put before him.
Nylander has always been a strong possession player, so he hasn't gained the ability to drive his own line recently.. that ability has always been there and he has been constantly improving year over year. He's putting in the work, whether it be gameday, practice, or an off day. He's been silencing the critics with his strongplay and if you're a Leafs fan, you absolutely love to see it.
Simply put, the 2nd generation NHLer has been a revalation this season. Hopefully he can pick up right where he left off in the postseason, where the games really begin to matter.
