Panthers coach praises Leafs star William Nylander’s skills

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Paul Maurice took some time out from defending Sam Bennett to throw a compliment at the Maple Leafs’ William Nylander.

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Through Stanley Cup playoff games on Tuesday night, the star winger was tied for second among all scorers with 12 points. Only Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, with 13 points, had more.

Nylander lit up the Florida Panthers for three points in the Toronto win in Game 1 and Maurice, from his perch behind the Panthers bench, took note. Nylander’s talent for possessing the puck and doing so under pressure, for Maurice, is matched by few.

“His ability to control the puck and change angles, change directions, is elite,” Maurice said Wednesday morning at Scotiabank Arena prior to Game 2 against the Leafs. “There may not be anybody better at it than he is. What he can do with the puck one-on-one is (a) challenge, but really (it’s the) players away from the puck.

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“He can beat a guy one-on-one, take it to the net, for sure, but it’s the ice created by his movement that allows the other players to get open with good hands and they can get to the net.

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“We would view him in whatever the percentage is, the top five guys, in the league, they all have something unique in their offensive game. Different, but similar in effect, with (Tampa Bay’s Nikita) Kucherov, how he can get a puck off the wall to somebody open a bunch of different ways. That’s the same idea. They’re going to get there.”

Maurice, like the majority of National Hockey League coaches, respect the idea that most stars are going to make things happen. It’s about putting limitations on that, not necessarily thinking you’re going to shut it down completely.

“He’s going to generate, he just is,” Maurice said. “So you want to make sure you’re not putting them in a position where you’re feeding him.”

The Ottawa Senators couldn’t overcome the challenge in the first round and, for one game at least, Nylander stymied Florida as well.

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As for Bennett and the Panthers’ other two shift-disturbers, Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand, the always-confident Maurice didn’t buy into the idea that the trio gets motivation from the booing and catcalls of fans.

“I don’t think that they feed off it,” Maurice said. “I just don’t think it bothers them at all. It doesn’t affect them. If you turned off your TV and you stay off social media and don’t watch the highlights, it wouldn’t affect you. I don’t think it shapes them one bit.

“We’re talking about three elite players. So if they were waiting for that hatred to drive their game, it just wouldn’t happen very much, right? This doesn’t really happen in very many other places (than Toronto), so I don’t think it affects them.”

OTHERWORLDLY FEELINGS

Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly wasn’t surprised that fellow Canadians Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Marc-Andre Fleury accepted an invitation to play at the world championship this month in Sweden and Denmark.

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Few would have protested had Crosby and MacKinnon begged off to have a bit more time to recover this off-season. For Fleury, it’s likely going to be his final competition as he has already announced this past NHL season was his last.

Canada’s first game of the 2025 tournament is on Saturday against Slovenia.

“All those guys have that reputation of being great teammates, and having a passion for the sport and competing, and what it takes to be successful in the sport,” Rielly said. “I can speak firsthand. Playing for Canada at the men’s worlds (in Russia in 2016) is really special.

“I was debating whether to go or not and I feel foolish for that now because it’s an incredible honour. I ended up going and I was grateful I made that decision.

“You can tell that it’s not lost on guys who have been around for as long as those guys have. It’s a great experience and it’s a special feeling as an athlete.”

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Rielly’s one regret from playing in the championship nine years ago is that he didn’t make a vacation of it afterward and explore St. Petersburg and Moscow, the two host cities.

His dad, Andy, was at the tournament and, as Morgan recalled, the two were on the first plane back to Canada once it was over.

“Those are some of my fondest memories in my life,” Rielly said. “Looking back on it, I probably should have taken advantage of it (and played tourist for a bit).”

WELCOME BACK, AARON

Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad sounded like he has had enough of life as a suspended player.

Ekblad returned to the Florida lineup for Game 2 after serving a two-game suspension for elbowing Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel in the first round.

Ekblad played in just two games in the series against Tampa — won by Florida in five games — after he finished serving a 20-game suspension, brought down by the NHL on March 10 for violating terms of the NHL/NHLPA’s performance enhancing substances program.

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“It’s been a whirlwind of the season,” Ekblad said on Wednesday. “It’s not the way I scripted it, but we’re here now. We’re in the playoffs, and it’s a great opportunity to be playing hockey.”

What did Ekblad have to say for himself regarding the incident with Hagel?

“Going down the wall there, I’m trying to make a hit every single time I do that,” Ekblad said. “I was aiming for his chest and I caught him in the chin, and that’s unfortunate, but it’s not my intention. I’m never out to hurt anybody on the ice and it’s unfortunate the way that the outcome happened and we all move on.”

The hit knocked Hagel out of the Lightning lineup. Hagel was not happy and had some choice words for Ekblad a few days later, saying it was “as purposeful as you could possibly see a headshot.”

Ekblad on Wednesday addressed Hagel’s words.

“Reasonable response,” Ekblad said. “That’s how he feels and you move on.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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