William Nylander engages in a fun pre-game discussion with NHL on TNT panelist Henrik Lundqvist
The Leafs got a rare opportunity to be broadcast nationally in the US last night on TNT against the Hawks and it provided us with some humerous interactions, not only between Biz Nasty and Auston Matthews, but also between Henrik Lundqvist and William Nylander. In the pre-game warm-ups, Nylander joined the TNT panel and got to chatting with his fellow Swede.
The two are very familiar with one another, not only from the time they've spent together on the World Stage with Tre Kronor, but even long before that, as Henrik was friends with Nylander's dad, Michael Nylander. They would play hockey in the basement and a young Nylander would trade places with Lundqvist and strap on the pads while Lundqvist would take shots on him. During their interview, Nylander reminded Lundqvist that he was the better floor hockey goalie - and Hank even pointed out that he's surprised that Nylander never pursued a career as a goaltender.
This brief exposure to the NHL on TNT coverage is a sobering reminder how bland and lifeless a lot of our coverage is up here in Canada. The NHL on TNT panel seems to have put more of an emphasis on having fun and being entertaining than our panels up here seem to do on TSN and Sportsnet.
