William Nylander Reacts to Maple Leafs' Coaching Decision Amid NHL Season

The Toronto Maple Leafs snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena.

Forward William Nylander broke through for his best game of the season, finishing with more than two points for the first time since Nov. 3.

Nylander scored two goals and assisted on two more, including the game’s opening marker and a late empty-netter to seal the victory over Pittsburgh.

The winger’s performance took place just hours after the Leafs announced the firing of assistant coach Marc Savard, who was in charge of Toronto’s league-worst power play. Assistant coach Derek Lalonde is now expected to lead that unit.

The Leafs’ power-play unit has converted just 13% of its opportunities through Tuesday’s win, scoring only 12 goals on those chances. It failed to convert twice in victory over the Penguins.

When asked about the team’s decision to fire Savard, Nylander gave a bland but blunt answer.

“Yeah, obviously, he was a great guy and sad to see him go, but I mean, we’ve been struggling,” Nylander said. “So, I mean, I guess that’s the first step to make a change for the team.”

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William NylanderDan Hamilton-Imagn Images

General manager Brad Treliving addressed the media before the game, making clear that head coach Craig Berube’s job isn’t in danger and adding that Savard’s firing was aimed at fixing the man-advantage issue.

“It’s gotta be better,” Treliving said. “This is not putting the blame solely at Marc Savard’s feet. This is not, we throw somebody out and say, ‘Blame this person.’ It’s a group responsibility.”

The Leafs improved to 16–15–5 and will host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

William Nylander Reacts to Maple Leafs’ Coaching Decision Amid NHL Season

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