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William Nylander makes his feelings known about changing his Leafs linemates
William Nylander recently spoke out about the Maple Leafs’ latest lineup changes, and he seems to welcome the shift. After ending a three-game scoring drought with a goal and two assists, he shared his thoughts with NHL insider David Alter.
"Look, I think the line that we had before, we had a good go together and making a lot of plays.” Nylander said. “ We weren't getting clear looks and stuff in the past couple games, so sometimes the switch-up is good. I thought both lines I've been on have been playing really well."
Toronto decided to reunite Nylander with John Tavares on the second line, along with Max Pacioretty. This move came as part of a larger lineup change, which also included shifting Max Domi down to the third line to play alongside Pontus Holmberg and Bobby McMann.
Nylander’s new line quickly produced results, combining for four goals and five assists in a recent game. This strong performance gave Nylander 10 points in 10 games this season.
Toronto has been adjusting lines frequently in recent games. The warmup lineup against Boston had Nylander on the third line with McMann and Domi.
However, at the latest morning skate on the 28th, Nylander lined up with Tavares and Pacioretty on the second line. This meant Knies, Matthews, and Marner stayed as the first line, while McMann, Domi, and Holmberg made up the third.
William Nylander seems happy with these adjustments and is showing a flexible approach.
William Nylander's Maple Leafs' line changes lead to victory against Jets
In Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs faced challenges and they relied heavily on one strong line. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies performed well, accounting for nearly 70 percent of expected goals and scoring one goal.
On the other hand, the second line with Bobby McMann, Max Domi, and William Nylander struggled. They played for less than five minutes and recorded only 21 percent of expected goals.
Head coach Craig Berube faced limited options, particularly as John Tavares had not performed well at center. His ice time fell to a season low of 14:52, leading to concerns about his speed and impact. The Leafs knew their center situation was fragile but could not find a dependable option during the offseason.
Additionally, William Nylander's ice time had dropped to about 18 minutes per game, down from nearly 20 the previous season. This reduction limited his offensive contributions.
To improve their performance, the Leafs tried a new line combination in today's game against the Winnipeg Jets. John Tavares scored three goals and helped the Toronto Maple Leafs win 6-4, giving the Jets their first loss of the season.
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