OTTAWA鈥擶illiam Nylander had a 29th birthday to remember: He had two goals, including a hard-fought empty-netter that secured a 4-2 win to eliminate the Ottawa Senators and send the聽Maple Leafs into the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
But it almost didn’t happen. And woe be Leafs Nation if the worst-case scenario played out.
When coach Craig Berube was checking off the names of the players who’d be playing, he of course, checked off Nylander. But he checked off the wrong one. He pencilled in younger brother Alex, who’s No. 92 is one slot below William’s 88.
鈥淥n the (roster) sheet there, all the normal names are there, but when you call guys up, they’re all on there. And I got confused,鈥 said Berube. 鈥淪o I’m like, what the hell? And so I told the officials, it’s Willie, not Alex.鈥
William Nylander scored a pair of goals on his 29th birthday in the Maple Leafs win.
Justin Tang The Canadian PressAlex was at the game with his father, Michael.
鈥淚 heard about it after the game, but luckily somebody caught that,鈥 William Nylander said.
Something similar happened in the 2002 playoffs against the New York Islanders when Leafs assistant coach Rick Ley mixed up Mikael Renberg and Robert Reichel, forcing Reichel out of the lineup and the team to start the game with a penalty. The Leafs had to play with one less skater, since Renberg was already injured.
It’s easy to imagine the outcome of Game 6 would have been different without the Leafs’ leading scorer.
Nylander assisted on Auston Matthews’ game-opener, a power-play marker that asserted the team’s extra-man unit was back on its game after an 0-for-7 run. Nylander scored early in the second on a sharp wrister that gave the Leafs some breathing room they’d need.
Brady Tkachuk got the Senators back in the game and David Perron tied it with seven minutes and 20 seconds remaining, sending the raucous Canadian Tire Centre crowd into a 鈥淪ens in seven鈥 chanting tizzy.
Grizzled veteran Max Pacioretty quieted the crowd with the winner with 5:39 remaining. And Nylander was out on the ice as the Senators pressed with the extra attacker, ultimately fighting off Jake Sanderson to put away the game with 19 seconds remaining to set up a date with the Florida Panthers in the next round.
鈥淲e competed as a team the entire game, got that power play and scored one there, and I think we just started flowing from there,鈥 said Nylander. 鈥淲e were hunting. Patch (Pacioretty) had a huge goal for us tonight. Stolie (Anthony Stolarz) was unbelievable. Unbelievable team effort tonight to get the win and move on.鈥
Goals from Nylander, Matthews and Pacioretty led the Leafs to a 4-2 win in Ottawa. 海角社区官网advances to play the Florida Panthers in the second round.
Goals from Nylander, Matthews and Pacioretty led the Leafs to a 4-2 win in Ottawa. 海角社区官网advances to play the Florida Panthers in the second round.
It’s an outcome that probably shouldn’t have been in doubt. Once a team gets off to a 3-0 series lead, it’s next to impossible for the trailing team to come back. Only four teams ever have.
But fans weren’t wrong to doubt these Maple Leafs, given their recent history and lack of playoff success. The Leafs won a series for just the second time in nine straight playoff appearances. But looked at another way, they’ve now won two series since 2023.
鈥淔eels good,鈥 said Matthews. 鈥淲e鈥檝e talked about it. It鈥檚 not going to be easy. There are going to be ups and downs. I like the way we responded after they scored. Just sticking with it and grabbing momentum back.鈥
Up next: Another Tkachuk
The Leafs now play the Panthers, led by Matthew Tkachuk, the older brother of Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk, who was a thorn in the Leafs’ side all series. The Panthers eliminated the Lightning in five games, just like they beat the Leafs in five games in 2023. They won the Stanley Cup last year.
鈥淭hey’re obviously the Stanley Cup champs. Still a very good team,鈥 said Berube. 鈥淭hey got a lot of good pieces there. They’re hard to play against. I can keep going on and on, but it’s not the time right now.鈥
Ottawa fandemonium
It might have been the most hostile crowd any Maple Leafs team has faced in the past 20 years. Their loyal travelling fan base was not out in the usual numbers, while Senators fans felt they had the momentum and turned the Canadian Tire Centre into bedlam.
And indeed it was a mix of hostility and humour, with 鈥淟eafs suck鈥 chants along with the now ubiquitous 鈥淢atthews is balding鈥 and 鈥淢arner’s leaving.鈥澛
鈥淗onestly, when you’re out there, I don’t really hear it,鈥 Matthews said before the game, breaking into a smile.
Sens-ing blood
After Perron scored, it was deafening. Sens fans could taste the upset, revel in its glory, revenge for all those Battles of Ontario that went the Leafs’ way in the Mats Sundin era.
The coach shrugs aside questions about playoff past. And the players? They have to answer to each other, he says.
The coach shrugs aside questions about playoff past. And the players? They have to answer to each other, he says.
鈥淭he bench was good,鈥 said Berube. 鈥淲e didn’t panic. Guys (were saying): ‘Let’s go get it right now.’ That’s what I heard on the bench. Let’s go get it. We’re good. We came out and got on our toes again.鈥
Less than two minutes after the Senators tied it, the Leafs’ remade third line 鈥 Berube has been moving players around all series 鈥 got the winner with Max Domi passing to Pacioretty for a wrist shot from 39 feet and Pontus Holmberg providing the screen.
鈥淭hat was a huge goal, obviously,鈥 said Berube. 鈥淗e (Pacioretty) is veteran guy whose been around playing a lot of playoff games. So he came through tonight for us.鈥
Pacioretty, injured much of the year, started the series as a healthy scratch.
鈥淚t means a lot,鈥 Pacioretty said of his contribution. 鈥淵ou keep playing because you want to pitch in. When you’re sitting out and the team’s winning you’re happy for them. But you want to be a part of it. I’m just thankful for the opportunity.鈥
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