Only Maple Leafs William Nylander Could Have a Night Like

The Toronto Maple Leafs' start to their game against the St. Louis Blues was so strange you had to laugh. I’ve watched a lot of Maple Leafs hockey in the nine seasons I’ve covered the team, and I should by now know when the hockey gods are having a bit of fun at our expense. But even I blinked twice when William Nylander, of all people, batted the first goal of the night right into his own net.

You couldn’t choreograph the tipped shot that got behind Joseph Woll off Nylander’s stick. If you tried, someone would tell you to tone it down and make it more believable.

Nylander Might Not Seem Worried, But He Does Care to Help His Team

And the funny part is, it wasn’t even a “Nylander” thing. He’s not careless, and he’s not the reason this team gets stuck in cold patches. But the moment fit the mood around the Maple Leafs perfectly. The team came out hard in last night’s game, yet was still a little foggy and slow to warm up. You gotta know they were and maybe still chewing on the five-game losing streak they dragged into the rink.

Brad Treliving had used the word “vanilla” earlier in the day. He said the team needed more juice, more spark. Then the puck drops, and your most gifted winger accidentally scores on his own goalie. That’s the universe having a sense of humour. But, you have to admit, it isn’t vanilla.

But credit where it’s due: the Maple Leafs didn’t fold. They got one back, settled themselves, and by the end of the period, you could feel them digging out rather than sinking deeper.

Nylander Turns the Entire Night Around

Here’s the thing about Nylander: even when he makes a mistake, he has this way of taking the temperature down. He’ll shrug, flash that little grin that says, “Relax, we’ll get it back.” Then, he will keep on playing the exact same rhythm he always plays.

And then overtime rolls around, and he reminds everyone why he’s one of the most gifted players this franchise has ever had—that winner—good grief. I’ve never seen a goal like it. The burst, the hands, the finish, and then that celebration that lasted long enough for a coffee break. He pointed into the crowd, as if he were sharing an inside joke with half of Toronto.

That’s his special trick. He gives the fans a breath. A laugh. A moment that pulls the weight off everyone’s shoulders.

A Messy Shift Becomes a Needed Bit of Magic

Fitting, really, that goal should never have been scored. The play started as a scramble. John Tavares was fighting off three Blues in the corner like he was trying to delay the world’s most determined forecheck. The Blues were all over him, but couldn’t get the puck. Then he saw Morgan Rielly coming into the play from the bench, and he kicked the puck twice like a soccer midfielder to his uncovered teammate.

Finally, Rielly slid the puck to Nylander. Calm as always, Nylander settled the puck, glued it to his stick, and tucked it away as if the whole sequence had been planned.

What started as determined puck control turned into one of the prettiest goals ever. That Nylander scored both the first goal of the game - against his own team - and then the last goal of the game was absolutely perfect.

When You’ve Been Losing for More Than a Week, This One Was Special for the Maple Leafs

When you’ve been losing for a week straight, you don’t need a masterpiece. But when something happens like this - from the start of the game until the end - you have to believe the hockey gods are trying to tell you something.

On a night that started with a laugh-so-you-don’t-cry moment, William Nylander ended it with one of the better goals he’ll ever score. It was a game the Maple Leafs needed.