Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs continued their Western road trip with a stop in Calgary to face the Flames. They were coming off a thrilling 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday (Feb. 2). However, they had to do it without Mitch Marner, who was sidelined with an undisclosed injury. There was some good news, though—Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who left the game against the Oilers, was able to play. The Maple Leafs left Calgary with a 6-3 victory, led by William Nylander and their power play. With that, let’s dive into some key takeaways from the game on Feb. 4.
Power Play Looks Good
The Maple Leafs’ power play (PP) has been one of the most talked-about aspects of their season. Simply put, it hasn’t been good enough. However, since Jan. 15, they have had the best PP in the league. They have scored a power-play goal in four straight games, and now that they’re playing with confidence, they look dangerous. Last night alone, they scored two PP goals—one from Nylander and another from John Tavares—less than a minute apart with ease. They also had more than 10 shots on their four power plays, a good sign as they head down the stretch.
It has been a long time coming, but the power play finally looks like it could catch fire and go on a lengthy streak. The only challenge is the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, which will pause the NHL season for two weeks after Saturday (Feb. 8). The hope is that when they return, the power play remains as sharp as it has been lately. However, that isn’t something the team needs to stress about right now.
Nylander Scores 3 in His Birth Town
Yes, that’s right—Nylander’s birth town is Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He was born there when his father, Michael Nylander, played for the Flames from 1996-98. However, he only lived there for two years before his family moved when his dad left the organization. Another fun fact—he had never scored at the Saddledome in his career until last night. He entered the game with 13 points against the Flames but had yet to find the back of the net in Calgary. That changed when he netted a hat trick, only the second of his career. His last hat trick came exactly eight years ago today on Feb. 4, 2017, against the Boston Bruins.
Leafs Nation knows Nylander will be crucial to the team’s playoff success. He has been a difference-maker in recent postseasons, and if he can stay…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…