{"id":455866,"date":"2024-11-12T08:40:13","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T13:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=455866"},"modified":"2024-11-12T08:15:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T13:15:00","slug":"toronto-maple-leafs-are-playing-with-their-best-styles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2024\/11\/12\/toronto-maple-leafs-are-playing-with-their-best-styles\/","title":{"rendered":"The Toronto Maple Leafs Are Playing With Their Best Styles"},"content":{"rendered":"

Right now, one of the <\/span>Toronto Maple Leafs<\/span><\/a> forwards is playing very well <\/span>and<\/span> our<\/span> focus in <\/span>today’s<\/span> discussion. That member of the Leafs is none other than William Nylander<\/a>. Nylander plays a responsible game and has been heating up offensively lately. He has been picking it up with some <\/span>key<\/span> injuries upfront. <\/span>Nylander’s<\/span> play can only mean good things for the team.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just<\/span> Where Would the Leafs Be Without William Nylander?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Ordinarily, <\/span>being without your captain<\/span><\/a> would be a recipe for disaster. However, for the Toronto Maple Leafs, with superstar centre Auston Matthews<\/a> out of the lineup, another star has shone in William Nylander. <\/span>Nylander<\/span>, along with<\/span> other stars in the Leafs top-six forward <\/span>group<\/span> have stepped up in <\/span>Papi\u2019s<\/span><\/em> absence.<\/span> We are here to focus primarily on William Nylander <\/span>how<\/span> his game has improved, and what it could mean going forward upon the <\/span>captain’s<\/span> return from injury.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthews <\/span>hasn\u2019t<\/span> suited up for the Leafs since early November when the club was 6-5-2. <\/span>Since <\/span>that time<\/span>, the team is on <\/span>a bit of<\/span> a heater <\/span>outscoring<\/span> its opponents 11 to 2 in the three games.<\/span> Nylander is currently tied for second in the league in goals at 11. Furthermore, he currently finds himself on a four-game point streak, with three goals and three assists. When Nylander gets hot, you may recall how hot <\/span>he<\/span> can get. Last season <\/span>he<\/span> opened the year on an incredible 17-game point streak. <\/span>He has <\/span>certainly<\/span> been picking it up in <\/span>Matthew\u2019s<\/span> absence, but <\/span>just<\/span> what about <\/span>Nylander\u2019s<\/span> game causes this to happen?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nylander Is Very Smooth and Dangerous With the Puck<\/h3>\n

As a player, Nylander skates hard without the puck. <\/span>Then <\/span>with<\/span> the puck, whether it is picking up the puck in his own zone or attacking in the offensive zone, Nylander always <\/span>makes controlled plays with confidence<\/span>.<\/span> Furthermore, he <\/span>doesn’t<\/span> seem to have a physically imposing figure. However, he is <\/span>very solid<\/span> on the puck, almost unassumingly. These types of abilities allow him to draw in the defence and hit the open man, such as John Tavares<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The recent <\/span>success of the Leafs power play<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Nylander’s<\/span> influence are terrific examples of what we are <\/span>talking about<\/span>. Nylander has been taking the puck to high-danger scoring areas. He is very good at taking what the defence gives him. Then, he makes incredibly <\/span>smooth,<\/span> yet powerful dekes to leave defenders and <\/span>goaltenders,<\/span> alike,<\/span> in their wake.<\/span><\/p>\n