{"id":400737,"date":"2026-01-11T02:36:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T02:36:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/400737\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T02:36:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T02:36:31","slug":"difference-maker-nylander-returns-after-six-game-absence-as-leafs-host-canucks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/400737\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Difference maker\u2019 Nylander returns after six-game absence as Leafs host Canucks"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> host the Vancouver Canucks<\/a> at Scotiabank Arena tonight.<\/p>\n

The Maple Leafs \u2013 riding an eight-game point streak (6-0-2)- will welcome back William Nylander<\/a> to the lineup tonight. He\u2019s missed the last six games with a lower-body injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can be a difference maker and it\u2019s nice to have him back,\u201d said John Tavares<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019ve missed him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a great player who brings speed and skill,\u201d said coach Craig Berube<\/a>. \u201cHe adds offence. It\u2019s great to have him back.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Nylander\u2019s return, the head coach shuffled the lines in the morning skate. <\/p>\n

Nylander was slotted on the right wing with Tavares and Matias Maccelli<\/a>. As a result, Matthew Knies<\/a> goes back to the top line with Auston Matthews<\/a> and Max Domi<\/a>. While Bobby McMann<\/a> was skating on a line with Scott Laughton<\/a> and Steven Lorentz<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tough, tough decisions,\u201d said Berube. \u201cI kept the Roy line (Nicolas Roy<\/a> with Easton Cowan<\/a> and Nick Robertson) together. I really like what they\u2019ve been doing lately. That\u2019s just the way it goes. When people come back, you\u2019ve got to make some lineup changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nylander also returns to the top power-play unit alongside Matthews, Maccelli, Matthew Knies<\/a> and Morgan Rielly<\/a>. That means Tavares moves to the second unit with Max Domi<\/a>, Nick Robertson, Nicolas Roy<\/a> and Oliver Ekman-Larsson<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like what Maccelli has done on it, I like Knies in the bumper, and I love the rotation of Willie and Knies in the net front bumper. It just gives us more options,\u201d said Berube. \u201cI spoke with JT about it. He\u2019s a good team guy and he\u2019s fine. He can be really effective with the other unit too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Leafs\u2019 power play has gone 0-5 in the past three games.<\/p>\n

Despite missing 10 games this season, Nylander leads the team in assists (27) and points (41).<\/p>\n

Late during the morning skate, Nylander ran into Berube. Neither was hurt and the head coach stayed on his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a little overweight,\u201d laughed Berube. \u201cHe\u2019s told me to let up on him.\u201d<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

Defenceman Jake McCabe<\/a> took part in the morning skate and is a game-time decision.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s missed the last two games with a lower-body injury. He suffered the injury last Saturday against the Islanders.<\/p>\n

\u201cLuckily, it wasn\u2019t too serious,\u201d said McCabe this morning. \u201cWhether I play tonight or not, it\u2019s nice to get back in the fold pretty quickly here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not fun watching at home,\u201d added McCabe who took in Thursday\u2019s overtime win over the Flyers from home. \u201cIt\u2019s a little bit more nerve-wracking when you\u2019re sitting on the couch than when you\u2019re on the ice.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the Leafs\u2019 current stretch of success, McCabe said, \u201cIt\u2019s a game of confidence. Once you feel it as a group, it\u2019s dangerous and a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

Following the game tonight vs the Canucks, the Leafs head out on a four-game road trip starting Monday in Colorado. Berube refuses to look ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how you look ahead, I really don\u2019t,\u201d Berube said. \u201cI don\u2019t understand that thought process. Tonight\u2019s the most important game. We need to focus on the game tonight. Have a good start and initiate right away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the intensity level for me, just being detailed and ready to go, no matter what opponent you are playing. Tonight is a good example of that. We have to have a high intensity level right away. We need a strong team game again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll be going hard tonight,\u201d said Canucks coach Adam Foote<\/a>. \u201cWe have to be ready at the drop of the puck.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Canucks come in winless in their past five games. They are allowing 3.53 goals per game (31st in NHL) and a penalty kill that is running at 79.3 per cent (30th). Tonight\u2019s game is the third of a six-game road trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the most part, we\u2019ve been resilient,\u201d said Foote of his team, still searching for a win in January. \u201cI think we got caught a couple of times letting it (trailing behind in games) affect us mentally, where we got away from what we were doing, maybe trying too hard to do something at the wrong time. We have to keep working.\u201d<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

The Leafs will face David Kampf<\/a> for the first time tonight since he had his contract terminated by the club in November.<\/p>\n

That occurred after Kampf walked away from the club after he played four games with the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about it too much,\u201d said Kampf this morning. \u201cI just made a decision, I think I\u2019m happy with my decision. I\u2019m here and I\u2019m moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked if he\u2019s playing with a chip on his shoulder tonight, the 30-year-old, who spent four seasons in Toronto, said, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say chip, but I am excited. I have a lot of friends there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kampf signed a one-year deal with the Canucks in mid-November and has scored two goals and an assist in 22 games with Vancouver.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great for him,\u201d Berube said. \u201cWe all like Kampf here. He was here a long time. There are decisions that have to be made. I\u2019m glad he\u2019s back playing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kampf is expected to centre a line tonight with Drew O\u2019Connor and Kiefer Sherwood<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a true pro,\u201d said Foote this morning. \u201cHe\u2019s a good person, and we\u2019ve been beat up through the middle all year, and he\u2019s given us some relief for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI really enjoyed playing with him,\u201d said Tavares. \u201cHe is extremely hardworking and a competitive person. He played some really good hockey for us. I\u2019m excited that he\u2019s going to the Olympics. I know that\u2019s a big honour for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kampf was recently named to Czechia\u2019s roster for the Winter Olympics in February in Italy. It will be his first experience at the Olympics. He\u2019s played for Czechia at the World Championship three times.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means a lot,\u201d Kampf said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big tournament for us, for the whole Czech Republic, so I\u2019m excited I got picked and I can play.\u201d<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

The Maple Leafs expect to have goaltender Anthony Stolarz<\/a> back in the lineup soon, as he continues to progress from an upper-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup since November 11.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s coming along well,\u201d said coach Berube. \u201cHe\u2019s been skating here for a bit now. I think it\u2019s close to where he will be with us full-time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Will he join the team on the 4-game road trip?<\/p>\n

\u201cI do believe he\u2019ll be on the trip with us,\u201d Berube said.<\/p>\n

Stolarz struggled prior to his injury. In 13 games this season, he has posted a 3.51 goals against average and a .884 save percentage.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

Leafs lines at morning skate:<\/p>\n

Knies-Matthews-Domi<\/p>\n

Maccelli-Tavares-Nylander<\/p>\n

Cowan-Roy-Robertson<\/p>\n

McMann-Laughton-Lorentz<\/p>\n

Extra: Jarnkrok<\/p>\n

Rielly-Carlo<\/p>\n

McCabe-OEL<\/p>\n

Benoit-Stecher<\/p>\n

Extra: Myers, Mermis, Benning<\/p>\n

Woll \u2013 projected starter<\/p>\n

Hildeby<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

Leafs PP units<\/p>\n

Rielly<\/p>\n

Maccelli , Knies, Matthews<\/p>\n

Nylander<\/p>\n

PP2<\/p>\n

OEL<\/p>\n

Domi, Tavares, Robertson<\/p>\n

Roy<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

Canucks lines in the morning skate (from @thomasdrance)<\/p>\n

DeBrusk-Pettersson-Karlsson<\/p>\n

\u00d6hgren-Sasson-Boeser<\/p>\n

O\u2019Connor-Kampf-Sherwood<\/p>\n

Kane-R\u00e4ty-H\u00f6glander<\/p>\n

M. Pettersson-Hronek<\/p>\n

Buium-Myers<\/p>\n

E. Pettersson – Willander<\/p>\n

Demko \u2013 expected to start<\/p>\n

Lankinen<\/p>\n

Extras: Joseph, Bains<\/p>\n

Red non-contact: Garland, Blueger, Chytil<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Vancouver Canucks at Scotiabank Arena tonight. The Maple Leafs \u2013 riding an…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":400738,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5128],"tags":[4759,894,5,4,32467,893,27,5313],"class_list":{"0":"post-400737","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-vancouver-canucks","8":"tag-apple-news","9":"tag-canucks","10":"tag-hockey","11":"tag-nhl","12":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs-sports-hockey-team-team-nhl-api-10","13":"tag-vancouver","14":"tag-vancouver-canucks","15":"tag-vancouvercanucks"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/115874141611999809","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=400737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400737\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/400738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=400737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=400737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=400737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}