Unseen clip shows William Nylander taking charge of Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo on the Maple Leafs bench
Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images
William Nylander walked the full length of the bench to get in the faces of Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo during Tuesday's win over Boston and for a player often criticized for staying quiet; that walk said everything.
It was a bit of a surprising game on Tuesday night as the Maple Leafs had their way with the Boston Bruins and came away with a 4-2 win. While it didn't help their draft odds, it allowed them to get a proverbial monkey off their back and beat Fraser Minten and the Bruins.
Nylander walks the length of the bench to give Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo a piece of his mind
There were a few scraps, a lot of tension, and a somewhat refreshing glimpse at what the Maple Leafs can do when they are motivated - not looking like lifeless husks on skates.
But one thing that seemed to garner a lot of attention was the fact that William Nylander really didn't want to take as nonsense from his teammates. It was noticed that Nylander walked the length of the bench to sit down and talk business with Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo:
It was a rare look at Nylander actually taking charge as he'll often yell from the bench but very sparingly will make the trip to speak in a more personal manner.
There's no indication of what play Nylander was referring to, but it's clear he either saw something he didn't like, or there were improvements that both Rielly and Carlo could have made to approach it better.
Leadership by Example: Why William Nylander's new attitude is a great sign going forward
But this is exactly the type of leadership that the Toronto Maple Leafs have been desperate for. It feels like Nylander has figured that if no one is going to say anything he has to, and it's a fresh look at someone who often gets criticized for being not as vocal or active as he could be.
If he can keep this level of passion up, then he's going to get a lot more complimentary remarks going forward. Plus, this could be an evolution to a game that turns Nylander from superstar forward into beloved leader.
It was almost as if the knee to Auston Matthews brought some new clarity to how things have to go down. Nylander saw the backlash, and decided that he was going to fix it going forward.
This wasn't something he was doing to get some extra attention - this was an assistant captain leading his team.
Plus, this should give Matthews a lot to think about too. If Nylander is going to start becoming a more vocal leader he can feel a little more confident in knowing that he's going to have support if things go awry.
For all the criticism that William Nylander has gotten for his more reserved nature, it's clear that he's reached a point where he has to speak up.
Now the only hope is that the rest of the group follows their new leader.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Radko Gudas is immediately in trouble with Joel Quenneville after return from Auston Matthews suspension
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Previously on Hockey Patrol
| POLL | ||
MARS 25|1495 ANSWERS Unseen clip shows William Nylander taking charge of Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo on the Maple Leafs bench Do you think William Nylander is a good assistant captain? | ||
| Yes | 737 | 49.3 % |
| No | 758 | 50.7 % |
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