After snapping an 11-game goalless streak with 2 goals and 4 points, William Nylander commented on the firing of Marc Savard amid Leafs’ power play struggles.
In their first game without Savard running the man-advantage, the Leafs went 0-for-2, although one power play was short-lived, thanks to a Matias Maccelli penalty less than a minute in forcing 4-on-4 play.
While they struggled with the man-advantage, Nylander along with Max Domi, managed to finally break their lengthy goal droughts.
Nylander tallied two goals, along with two assists, snapping his 11-game goalless streak, while Max Domi’s highlight reel goal was the game winner and snapped a 23-game scoring drought.
Nylander Comments on the Firing of Marc Savard
Entering the three-day Christmas break with a win certainly feels good for the struggling Leafs, but following the game, some players, including Nylander were asked about the firing of Marc Savard.
Nylander’s response was honest and candid. You could tell that he certainly feels for Savard, as it was partially his own lacklustre play that resulted in the assistant coach losing his job.
“He was a great guy and sad to see him go. But, I mean, we’ve been struggling. So, I guess that’s the first step to make a change for the team.”
The 29-year-old wasn’t the only one asked about the loss of Savard, as Domi and Chris Tanev also shared their perspectives on the firing of their coach, with both echoing Nylander’s comments about him being a ‘great guy’.
With a few days off before they take on the Ottawa Senators, the hope is that the team can ride the momentum from Tuesday’s win and begin to string together a few more and find some success on the power play as it becomes a collaborative effort by the coaching staff.
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