William Nylander silenced the noise around him on Tuesday night with a dominant performance that helped the Toronto Maple Leafs snap a two-game skid.
Just hours after Craig Berube publicly called him out for needing “more shots” and “more attack,” Nylander responded with a goal and two primary assists in a 7–4 win over the Nashville Predators.
Advertisement
The effort came after what the 29-year-old acknowledged was a productive conversation with his head coach.
“It was just a good conversation,” Nylander said. “About it.”
The meeting came following Monday’s loss to the Detroit Red Wings, when Berube challenged Nylander to be more aggressive.
“Willy needs more shots,” the coach said then. “He’s got to get on the inside more. We need more out of him.”
Berube repeated before puck drop on Tuesday that he enjoys exchanging ideas with his star winger, as the Swedish forward always bring good feedback to the table.
Advertisement
“He always has good feedback,” Berube said. “He sees things maybe I don’t see — where he’s at mentally, puck touches, that kind of stuff.”
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander during a postgame press conference.John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
By Tuesday night, Nylander answered. He led Toronto with seven scoring chances and five shots while driving play on a second line alongside John Tavares and Matias Maccelli.
“It’s coming along,” Nylander said postgame. “It’s always slow at the beginning of the season, so just getting that back.”
After the win, Berube was quick to credit Nylander’s response, praising his three-point performance in the win over Nashville.
Advertisement
“Willy did what he does,” Berube said. “He had the puck, he was making good decisions, driving it deep, doing what he does in the offensive zone.”
The Maple Leafs (2–2–0) will stay home, playing their next game against the visiting New York Rangers on Thursday with puck drop set at 7 p.m. ET.
Related: Maple Leafs’ John Tavares Defends Teammate After Craig Berube’s Comments
Related: Maple Leafs Reportedly Receiving Trade Calls on Bottom-Six Forward
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.