Player Discussion William Nylander

[Confucius]

Noah Gregor. Plays a possession game. He may not be as fast as Willy, but skates similar and is able to rag the puck when needed. Our team's low panic button resulting in so many give aways right now.

We’ve been giving the puck away all season, 5th most in the entire league. The only teams that turned it over more than us
Habs, Sens, Flames and Oilers.

lol, coincidentally all Canadian teams

 

[colchar]

It’s extremely rare to need that much time off for a migraine.

You have literally no idea what you are talking about. I suffer from migraines, specifically cluster headaches. As the name suggests, they come in clusters. In other words they come one on top of another in (usually) rapid succession with very little pain free time in between. My last bout was 7-10 days ago and no amount of prescription migraine medication would relieve them for more than an hour, maybe two if I was really lucky. That particular cluster lasted more than a week.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Noah Gregor. Plays a possession game. He may not be as fast as Willy, but skates similar and is able to rag the puck when needed. Our team's low panic button resulting in so many give aways right now.

Gregor isn't as fast, can't skate as well, can't handle the puck as well, doesn't shoot as well or pass as well, but they do play a similar game - hockey.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

Noah Gregor. Plays a possession game.

As in literally the worst possession player on the team?

 

[ZEBROA]

You have literally no idea what you are talking about. I suffer from migraines, specifically cluster headaches. As the name suggests, they come in clusters. In other words they come one on top of another in (usually) rapid succession with very little pain free time in between. My last bout was 7-10 days ago and no amount of prescription migraine medication would relieve them for more than an hour, maybe two if I was really lucky. That particular cluster lasted more than a week.

I would like to see the ones calling it a headache, playing through even a non contact sport of any kind with a severe migrain, let alone a NHL game.

 

[Kazparov]

I would like to see the ones calling it a headache, playing through even a non contact sport of any kind with a severe migrain, let alone a NHL game.

Or y'know , standing up in a room that has a light on.

 

[ULF_55]

Sounds like he's growing weary of ...

Do others have a similar opinion?

 

[Jojalu]

Sounds like he's growing weary of ...

Do others have a similar opinion?

Talking a lot this morning about the Blackhawks infighting on the bench pushing each other.

Hopefully this wakes this group up.

 

[ULF_55]

Talking a lot this morning about the Blackhawks infighting on the bench pushing each other.

Hopefully this wakes this group up.

A critical juncture.

 

[ruaware41]

I was happy with Nylanders play. He didn't get a point but small things showed that he's being different to his past. it's extremely rare to see him finish a forecheck off with a hit and I recall at least one play where he did that. He was also noticeably not avoiding contact and going for the puck and bracing well knowing he was gonna get hit. It's a positive change

 

[Jojalu]

I was happy with Nylanders play. He didn't get a point but small things showed that he's being different to his past. it's extremely rare to see him finish a forecheck off with a hit and I recall at least one play where he did that. He was also noticeably not avoiding contact and going for the puck and bracing well knowing he was gonna get hit. It's a positive change

He did indeed forecheck a lot harder.

He still has those moments in his own end where I am not sure what the hell he is doing.

He plays this weird zone like a safety but never really closes off anyone.

All in all I thought he was way more engaged and set up a couple really good chances.

The play where he went in hit the guy behind the net, stole the puck and brought it around for a scoring chance for both him and Tavares was they play he didn't make against Hefman a couple of years ago

 

[JimmyJiveJones]

Im not a leafs fan but i did catch some of the 3rd and OT and something that caught my eye is that Nylander was just coasting and barely moving at all. Especially in the D zone. Is this how he plays regularly?

 

[wingman75]

Im not a leafs fan but i did catch some of the 3rd and OT and something that caught my eye is that Nylander was just coasting and barely moving at all. Especially in the D zone. Is this how he plays regularly?

I would say more or less, yes. But, I would also say he is rarely out of position and scrambling around. So sometimes he might look inactive but is doing what he should be.

The one fault he may have in the d-zone is busting the zone too early or getting higher than the D along the boards. It's not all that common, but does happen.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Im not a leafs fan but i did catch some of the 3rd and OT and something that caught my eye is that Nylander was just coasting and barely moving at all. Especially in the D zone. Is this how he plays regularly?

Yea Nylander floats and we celebrate and call him Big Willy Styles when he scores

 

[ruaware41]

He did indeed forecheck a lot harder.

He still has those moments in his own end where I am not sure what the hell he is doing.

He plays this weird zone like a safety but never really closes off anyone.

All in all I thought he was way more engaged and set up a couple really good chances.

The play where he went in hit the guy behind the net, stole the puck and brought it around for a scoring chance for both him and Tavares was they play he didn't make against Hefman a couple of years ago

I think that might be the one I had in mind as well when making the post. Nylander is a sharp guy. I'm confident he'll sort out the d zone issues if he is not as contact avoidant as he has been in the past and plays with the mindset of last game. I can see how his defensive approach is likely tailored to his contact avoidant approach but now that he's more engaged I'm hopeful he'll improve further on his defensive play though he wasn't that bad last game/overall these days. I did see an opportunity where he could have absolutely steam roll a bruin on an open ice hit who had his head down and they were headed for a collision course but that's asking too much of Willy.

 

[notDatsyuk]

I think that might be the one I had in mind as well when making the post. Nylander is a sharp guy. I'm confident he'll sort out the d zone issues if he is not as contact avoidant as he has been in the past and plays with the mindset of last game. I can see how his defensive approach is likely tailored to his contact avoidant approach but now that he's more engaged I'm hopeful he'll improve further on his defensive play though he wasn't that bad last game/overall these days. I did see an opportunity where he could have absolutely steam roll a bruin on an open ice hit who had his head down and they were headed for a collision course but that's asking too much of Willy.

The Leafs tend to collapse into the slot a lot. Willy tends to stay farther out, trying to keep an eye on both D, and you'll often see him directing coverage.

He doesn't hit much, but he doesn't avoid contact either - sixth among forwards in hits taken (well above both Matty and Mitch).

He's given 2 hits and received 4 in the two games he's played. For context, in five games Domi has 5 hits and 8 taken, and Mitch has 6 hits and 6 taken).

He'd obviously rather take the puck away or force a turnover without hitting; that's his style and pretty effective - I don't think trying to force him to change is the best use of his talent.

Look at giveaways and takeaways by the top six forwards:
MM 60G 59T
AM 54G 85T
JT 51G 37T
TB 47G 44T
WN 45G 68T
MD 42G 26T

He and Matty are the only ones with more takes than gives.

 

[ruaware41]

The Leafs tend to collapse into the slot a lot. Willy tends to stay farther out, trying to keep an eye on both D, and you'll often see him directing coverage.

He doesn't hit much, but he doesn't avoid contact either - sixth among forwards in hits taken (well above both Matty and Mitch).

He's given 2 hits and received 4 in the two games he's played. For context, in five games Domi has 5 hits and 8 taken, and Mitch has 6 hits and 6 taken).

He'd obviously rather take the puck away or force a turnover without hitting; that's his style and pretty effective - I don't think trying to force him to change is the best use of his talent.

Look at giveaways and takeaways by the top six forwards:
MM 60G 59T
AM 54G 85T
JT 51G 37T
TB 47G 44T
WN 45G 68T
MD 42G 26T

He and Matty are the only ones with more takes than gives.

I don't think he's been avoiding contact in the 2 games he's played this series but he definitely looks more physically engaged. No one's asking him to be Kronwall out there but occasionally finishing a forecheck with a hit like he did last game adds uncertainty to the other player's decision and helps compound his own game

 

[notDatsyuk]

I don't think he's been avoiding contact in the 2 games he's played this series but he definitely looks more physically engaged. No one's asking him to be Kronwall out there but occasionally finishing a forecheck with a hit like he did last game adds uncertainty to the other player's decision and helps compound his own game

Absolutely I'd like him to be a bit more physical, but not at the expense of his 'game'.

 

[arso40]

The Leafs tend to collapse into the slot a lot. Willy tends to stay farther out, trying to keep an eye on both D, and you'll often see him directing coverage.

He doesn't hit much, but he doesn't avoid contact either - sixth among forwards in hits taken (well above both Matty and Mitch).

He's given 2 hits and received 4 in the two games he's played. For context, in five games Domi has 5 hits and 8 taken, and Mitch has 6 hits and 6 taken).

He'd obviously rather take the puck away or force a turnover without hitting; that's his style and pretty effective - I don't think trying to force him to change is the best use of his talent.

Look at giveaways and takeaways by the top six forwards:
MM 60G 59T
AM 54G 85T
JT 51G 37T
TB 47G 44T
WN 45G 68T
MD 42G 26T

He and Matty are the only ones with more takes than gives.

He definitely stays high to guard the points

 

[DarkKnight]

Bottomline, he hasn’t scored in 13 straight games, we need him tonight.

 

[arso40]

Bottomline, he hasn’t scored in 13 straight games, we need him tonight.

Don't care if he does or not as long as there's a game 7

 

[Jojalu]

Don't care if he does or not as long as there's a game 7

I second that motion. Although it probably helps us get to Game 7 if he scores 3

 

[DarkKnight]

I second that motion. Although it probably helps us get to Game 7 if he scores 3

Yes it's self evident a win is all we want, also the probability increases if your 40 goal man actually scores.

He had a decent game 4.

 

[ZEBROA]

Bottomline, he hasn’t scored in 13 straight games, we need him tonight.

Yep we do. But he will probably not score on a line with Tavares and knies. Maby on a Nylander Domi Marner line... Maby. I hope i am wrong. But think scoring , if any, will come from unexpected players (after 13 games without a goal on the other hand it is quite unexpected).

If he dont score i just hope players take better care of his passes, and that the player he pass to is a leaf... that would help.

 

[ACC1224]

Yes it's self evident a win is all we want, also the probability increases if your 40 goal man actually scores.

He had a decent game 4.

We all know who's already lined up to take all the blame should they lose.