William Nylander Not Letting Himself or His Leafs Teammates Off the Hook

Through 40 minutes last night, Maple Leafs fans were left stunned and disappointed with how poorly the team was playing to kick off a 4-game homestand.

With the Pittsburgh Penguins taking a 3-0 stranglehold on the game, the contest appeared out of reach in the final 20 minutes. However, the Leafs team that took to the ice in the 3rd frame was not the same team that floundered through the first 40.

Auston Matthews got things started before William Nylander doubled down with a pair of goals to tie the game in the 3rd. Then, after a great individual effort from Nick Robertson to get the puck into a dangerous area and fire it on the net, Bobby McMann cleaned up the garbage to give his team the 4-3 lead, and the Leafs were able to lock it down from there to skate away with the win.

After the game, Craig Berube was not ready to let his team enjoy such a sloppy win, laying into his group, and demanding a 60-minute effort. William Nylander's message for his teammates was not far off either.

Which Leafs team comes out for Wednesday's game remains to be seen. The duality of this team is quite impressive. They have the ability to be one of the most frustrating teams in the league, yet one of the most dynamic and dangerous at the flick of a switch.

Nylander's 3-point night propelled him back to the top of the leaderboard in terms of Leafs scoring. The Stockholm product has 5 goals and 18 points through just 10 games this season.