Tribute William Nylander Discussion Thread: Ya Gotta Be Blessed Edition

[Walshy7]

Wasn’t me, just genuinely curious. Not everything is sinister, sometimes a question is just that.
As mentioned earlier it’s probably from Keefes tenure. Regardless, shouldn’t need a tweet to know Nylanders playing well

ok then I apologize I can’t remember who was doing that.

It’s not keefe a tenure, keefe got hired around the 20 game mark didn’t he? That’s make his tenure ~50 games

 

[Gallagbi]

Dec 23rd vs. Carolina was 33 games ago - my first thought was it 2020 (logical time frame) so I checked.

@ACC1224 @Walshy7

Oddly the tweet just makes me think his shooting% isn't going to stay that high.

 

[ACC1224]

Dec 23rd vs. Carolina was 33 games ago - my first thought was it 2020 (logical time frame) so I checked.

@ACC1224 @Walshy7

Oddly the tweet just makes me think his shooting% isn't going to stay that high.

Lol who knows then

 

[saffronleaf]

Babcock was let go on Nov 21.

If we look at numbers since Nov 21 for all players...

Nylander is tied for 36th in points, with 42p [he missed 2 games in this period]. He is tied in points with Ovechkin, ahead of Pettersen and M. Tkachuk by 1 point. Matthews is 10th (53p); Marner is 20th (49p) [he missed 4 games in this period]; and Tavares is 23rd (46p).

Nylander is tied for 11th in goals, with 23g. He is tied in goals with Bergeron & Eichel. He is ahead of Stamkos, Laine, Mackinnon by 1 goal. Matthews is tied for 2nd with 33g; Tavares is tied for 22nd with 20g; Marner is tied for 108th with 12g.

Nylander is tied for 1st in GWG with 7g. He's tied with Eichel, Pastrnak & Killorn.

 

[ottomaddox]

So many here should be eating crow

I'm not afraid to admit it.

The guy had a couple of bad playoff series and was benched by 2 different coaches.

 

[Dayjobdave]

Nylander has looked great this season, and he has looked exceptionally great the past 6 weeks or so. I love watching the kid play.

As fair as the criticisms of our top heavy roster may be, it is also true that the benefit of having 4 top end players up front is that generally one or two of them will always be on. Lately Nylander seems to be carrying the mail. It’s not like teams can focus on him now and ignore Mitch.

I like this team. I don’t know if they can win, but there’s always someone to watch.

 

[cesareborgia]

Damning by faint praise is still damning. Nylander has always been held under the microscope in ways that none of the others have and there was an epic amount of nonsense last year. I'm all for discussing players objectively and analysing their flaws and weaknesses, but Nylander has always, always struggled to get any credit around here. He's got his cheerleaders and the masses are finally coming around, but people have been out for his blood far more than made any sense.

I think you've forgotten how bad last season was for him.

 

[LeafGrief]

I think you've forgotten how bad last season was for him.

I have alluded to and mentioned last season in several of my posts, I haven't forgotten anything. Make no mistake, I think he had a godawful year last year, but the whole "Nylander hosed us" "cap dump" "trade his ass" crowd was utter nonsense. It was stupid the moment it was typed and his success this year proved his cheerleaders right. I find "forgotten how bad last season was for him" to be deliciously ironic, because all the naysayers completely ignored how good he was the two years prior. He wasn't a perfect player, but there's a real difference between acknowledging a good player having a terrible year and wanting to ship a guy out.

 

[koyvoo]

This guy did some good things in game 1 but he made one cardinal mistake that really sticks out because it is a hot talking point about our teams identity.

The 3rd delay of game penalty, Nylander’s, was 100% him nervously trying to avoid a hit and flipping the puck over the glass instead of taking a hit to make the play. I don’t know if anyone can straight face say that’s not exactly what happened if you rewatch it closely.

This is in a tight playoff game, where they were trying to assert themselves physically on us, and we had already taken two of the same type of penalty. And considering the Habs are definitely echoing the “let’s punish their soft core until they expose themselves as playoff pretenders” mantra, it pisses me off that Nylander, in game friggin 1 seems to go out of his way to fuel that thought in their heads, never mind the HF experts.

 

[wingman75]

No PP goal against, its no big deal. Marners was worse, lazier play, and I thought Holl's was worse too, dumb play that nothing good could come from. His was a bad break, just got under the puck too much.

He was easily one of our top 3 players tonight... and maybe our best. He was brining it from the start, hard on the puck getting involved physically and defensively. That is the guy the team needs going forward, he has to be a difference maker. If he can play like that, and M&M get rolling I would feel a whole lot better going forward.

 

[koyvoo]

Indeed, there is no denying the talent and flash. This thing of avoiding hits to make crucial plays in game 1 of a playoff game is a concern IMO. If we continue to play vs physical teams, the hits start to hurt a lot more in games 6 and 7 of later rounds than they do in games 1 and 2 of earlier rounds. At some point, self sacrifice is needed from star players in the post season. Hockey history is littered with star players learning this. Granted, they are still young and many players took longer than their mid 20s to get it, a guy like Yzerman being a prime example. Bit at some point, this ducking hits shit needs to stop.

 

[stickty111]

Really good game today and what we need. Give him more ice time. He could teach our other star winger a thing or two.

 

[HellasLEAF]

This guy did some good things in game 1 but he made one cardinal mistake that really sticks out because it is a hot talking point about our teams identity.

The 3rd delay of game penalty, Nylander’s, was 100% him nervously trying to avoid a hit and flipping the puck over the glass instead of taking a hit to make the play. I don’t know if anyone can straight face say that’s not exactly what happened if you rewatch it closely.

This is in a tight playoff game, where they were trying to assert themselves physically on us, and we had already taken two of the same type of penalty. And considering the Habs are definitely echoing the “let’s punish their soft core until they expose themselves as playoff pretenders” mantra, it pisses me off that Nylander, in game friggin 1 seems to go out of his way to fuel that thought in their heads, never mind the HF experts.

That's exactly what happened you are correct. He heard footsteps. Marner too. Nylander had a good game I thought. I don't think these guys can flip a switch they are who they are. Which is fine if they are scoring, but if they aren't their warts become magnified.

 

[Menzinger]

The delay of penalty was unfortunate but he wasn't the only Leafs to get one (and no goal against during it)

He had good game considering how he had to adapt too. He scored when expected too

 

[3blizzard4]

He was in beast mode today! More of this Willy styles!

 

[Stephen]

Delay of game wasn't a good sign of handling the physical pressure but he battled for body positioning, threw a big hit and scored a goal. Others did less.

 

[koyvoo]

The delay of penalty was unfortunate but he wasn't the only Leafs to get one (and no goal against during it)

He had good game considering how he had to adapt too. He scored when expected too

The unfortunate thing about the delay of game penalty was that it was the 3rd, and how many times you gonna see that?

But the concern is the reason why it happened. In game friggin 1 of the playoffs, this guy nervously ducks a hit instead of taking one to make a play. Game 1. With his/our reputation. What’s going to happen in games 5 and 6 of later rounds when the hits actually a lot more than games 1 and 2 of early rounds start to hurt because you’ve been taking them for two rounds already?

At some point, the avoiding contact garbage has to stop. Players around the league notice a guy, who in a playoff game ducks a hit instead of taking one to make a play. The Habs are already echoing the thought of “let’s hammer their soft forward core until they expose themselves as pretenders” and Nylander does his best to prove to them that the plan has merit?

As I said in my first post in this thread after the game,he did a lot of things right in the game, but that particular mistake was a cardinal mistake. It’s the playoffs. Take your hit, make the play.

 

[Menzinger]

The unfortunate thing about the delay of game penalty was that it was the 3rd, and how many times you gonna see that?

But the concern is the reason why it happened. In game friggin 1 of the playoffs, this guy nervously ducks a hit instead of taking one to make a play. Game 1. With his/our reputation. What’s going to happen in games 5 and 6 of later rounds when the hits actually a lot more than games 1 and 2 of early rounds start to hurt because you’ve been taking them for two rounds already?

At some point, the avoiding contact garbage has to stop. Players around the league notice a guy, who in a playoff game ducks a hit instead of taking one to make a play. The Habs are already echoing the thought of “let’s hammer their soft forward core until they expose themselves as pretenders” and Nylander does his best to prove to them that the plan has merit?

As I said in my first post in this thread after the game,he did a lot of things right in the game, but that particular mistake was a cardinal mistake. It’s the playoffs. Take your hit, make the play.

Situationally though, I'm not sure there really was much of a potential play to be made even if he had taken the hit. If he got hit off the puck the Habs would have gained possession near the Leafs net. He opened to flick it to the neutral zone instead in that split second but misjudged his accuracy. Wrong on his part but I don't think it's necessary worse.thsn the two previous penalties for it that game.

Will have to see how the team as a whole responds to the physical play next gane

 

[VanW27]

The unfortunate thing about the delay of game penalty was that it was the 3rd, and how many times you gonna see that?

But the concern is the reason why it happened. In game friggin 1 of the playoffs, this guy nervously ducks a hit instead of taking one to make a play. Game 1. With his/our reputation. What’s going to happen in games 5 and 6 of later rounds when the hits actually a lot more than games 1 and 2 of early rounds start to hurt because you’ve been taking them for two rounds already?

At some point, the avoiding contact garbage has to stop. Players around the league notice a guy, who in a playoff game ducks a hit instead of taking one to make a play. The Habs are already echoing the thought of “let’s hammer their soft forward core until they expose themselves as pretenders” and Nylander does his best to prove to them that the plan has merit?

As I said in my first post in this thread after the game,he did a lot of things right in the game, but that particular mistake was a cardinal mistake. It’s the playoffs. Take your hit, make the play.

Bergeron with the backhand flip over the glass as the forechecker is coming at him.. Bruins will never go anywhere with a guy like that.

 

[koyvoo]

Bergeron with the backhand flip over the glass as the forechecker is coming at him.. Bruins will never go anywhere with a guy like that.

Maybe Bergeron/Boston have checked out or are just past it. I doubt you’d find to many examples of them doing it on their Cup final runs. Definitely not to the point where it becomes their identity. Their identity at their peak was to intimidate pansies like the Sedins and Nylander’s of the league into submission.

Saying all that, this example of Bergeron ducking a hit at this time of year is equally gutless.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Maybe Bergeron/Boston have checked out or are just past it. I doubt you’d find to many examples of them doing it on their Cup final runs. Definitely not to the point where it becomes their identity. Their identity at their peak was to intimidate pansies like the Sedins and Nylander’s of the league into submission.

Saying all that, this example of Bergeron ducking a hit at this time of year is equally gutless.

I'm amazed anyone could think Bergeron and/or Boston have checked out.

Willie had a great game, next to Campbell's play, that was the biggest bright spot last night for me. If he keeps playing like that I'll be more than happy.

 

[DavePoulin4PM]

I'm amazed anyone could think Bergeron and/or Boston have checked out.

Willie had a great game, next to Campbell's play, that was the biggest bright spot last night for me. If he keeps playing like that I'll be more than happy.

Agree. I am a Nylander “hater” but he was the only Leaf player that showed up. That was the most engaged we have seen him in IMO. Hopefully he can continue his tremendous play.

 

[koyvoo]

I did say he did a lot of good things, just that to me, one cardinal sin relating to our identity was very notable.

Let me ask this, for those who remember, it being not that long ago. When the battle of Ontario became famous, what was it that made the regular season standings meaningless between the leafs and sens, had us knowing, had pretty much everyone across the league knowing, that no matter what happened on the regular season, the leafs were always going to beat the piss out of them?

If you’re ducking hits which lead to a bad play in game one of the playoffs instead of taking the hit to make a play, that’s only going to manifest itself more and more in games 6 and 7 of later series as the pain/injury buildup of those hits multiply.

 

[VanW27]

Let me ask this, for those who remember, it being not that long ago. When the battle of Ontario became famous, what was it that made the regular season standings meaningless between the leafs and sens, had us knowing, had pretty much everyone across the league knowing, that no matter what happened on the regular season, the leafs were always going to beat the piss out of them?

Joseph vs. Lalime

 

[Griffin76]

This guy did some good things in game 1 but he made one cardinal mistake that really sticks out because it is a hot talking point about our teams identity.

The 3rd delay of game penalty, Nylander’s, was 100% him nervously trying to avoid a hit and flipping the puck over the glass instead of taking a hit to make the play. I don’t know if anyone can straight face say that’s not exactly what happened if you rewatch it closely.

This is in a tight playoff game, where they were trying to assert themselves physically on us, and we had already taken two of the same type of penalty. And considering the Habs are definitely echoing the “let’s punish their soft core until they expose themselves as playoff pretenders” mantra, it pisses me off that Nylander, in game friggin 1 seems to go out of his way to fuel that thought in their heads, never mind the HF experts.

Ridiculous. You don't like him then you don't like him. He was the best player on the ice last game. Was it the wrong play? Yes. He may have had time to put it around the boards but he made a mistake. Probably the only one he made. His was amplified only because it was the third one by the team. The guy has been ducking hits all his life. He's not.going to miraculously change because you think everybody needs to play the Hyman style of game. Most times he avoids a hit, chips the puck to an open spot and retrieves it. He made a mistake that didn't even cost the team at all. Like I said, if you hate him then you hate him but stop trying to find things that aren't there just to fit your attitude toward the guy.