Arun Srinivasan

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William Nylander vs. Rangers -on the ice for all four Leafs goals, two assists - records 600th career point - plus-10 shot differential at 5-on-5, 93 percent share of the expected goals via Natural Stat Trick.

1:53 AM · Mar 21, 2025

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Toronto Maple Leafs

@MapleLeafs

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Wollie & Stolie 🧀

1:47 AM · Mar 21, 2025

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Here are seven takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ victory over the Rangers

• John Tavares was outstanding from the outset of the game, and submitted one of his best performances of the season. There’s a misnomer that Tavares has lost a step, but he scored his first goal blazing off the rush, rocketing a one-touch feed from Jake McCabe past Igor Shesterkin. Tavares’ second goal was the result of superior hockey intelligence, picking up a rebound from another McCabe shot. In the process, Tavares became the 68th player in NHL history to reach 1,100 points for his career. Tavares has been on the national radar since he was 13 years old, the first exceptional status player in Canadian Hockey League history, and he’s exceeded expectations at every level. He’s a pending free agent and sometimes, we take for granted how casually brilliant he has been. Congratulations to Tavares on the milestone, where he’ll certainly be celebrating his linemates, who outright dominated at the Garden on Thursday evening.
• William Nylander continues to excel as a creator, while carrying an outside shot at reaching the 50-goal mark this season. Nylander was on the ice for all four Maple Leafs goals, and his patience was on full display on Matthew Knies’ game-winning goal, where he outwaited an exhausted Rangers’ defence, then found a cutting Knies, who beat Shesterkin cleanly with a wrist shot. It was a milestone night for Nylander, as he recorded his 600th career point. It was a sensational performance from Nylander, who finished with two assists, a plus-10 shot differential, and a 93 percent share of the expected goals at 5-on-5 via Natural Stat Trick.
• Bobby McMann is the ideal second-line left wing for the playoffs. He’s capable of real offence, his elite straight-line speed puts immense pressure on defenders, he can score dirty goals — his tip of McCabe’s shot was expertly timed entering the first intermission — and he’s found real chemistry with Tavares and Nylander. McMann has often been the engine of the third line with Max Domi and Nick Robertson, Toronto’s second-most used unit at 5-on-5, but Scott Laughton may be the idealized fit there. It was a terrific game from McMann, which embodied the totality of his skill set. Berube has to keep this line intact for Saturday’s game against the Nashville Predators.
• Jake McCabe was active offensively, was getting pucks to the net consistently and finished with his first three-point night as a member of the Maple Leafs. McCabe isn’t known for his offence, but he’s making smart reads, and he completely dominated all facets of the game alongside Chris Tanev. Toronto hasn’t received many offensive contributions from its blue line, but we have to highlight McCabe’s increased offensive activity this week, while finishing the game with three hits, two shot blocks in a team-leading 22:23 of ice time.
• Matthew Knies was bullying the Rangers throughout the game, and worked a strong two-man game with Auston Matthews on the boards. Knies was rewarded for a strong overall performance when he burst onto the ice, and deposited a Nylander feed for the game-winner. This was a typical example of why Knies is considered the Maple Leafs’ bridge between the present and the future, embodying everything you want from a power forward with his 25th goal of the season, while registering four shots and four hits along the way. And with a major hat tip to the Sportsnet broadcast: Knies is one of three players with 25 goals and 150 hits, along with Tom Wilson and Brady Tkachuk.
• Chris Tanev played a flawless game. He didn’t make a single error, he constantly exited the zone with fluency, he facilitated an excellent game from his partner, with a plus-three goal differential, a plus-seven shot differential and an 82 percent share of the expected goals at 5-on-5. This was Tanev’s best game since his return from injury and the type of game that allows Leafs fans to relax, with a bonafide number one defenceman on the blue line.
• We don’t want to pick on Scott Laughton, but once again, he was Toronto’s least effective skater. As McMann seems to be the best optional on the second line, Laughton may be best utilized alongside Domi and Robertson on the third line, which allows Domi to play on the wing (where he’s superior) while Laughton can soak up the defensive responsibilities that he was brought in for. It hasn’t been a good opening month for Laughton, but the acquisition cost is still worth it, and eventually he’ll find his footing. Saturday’s game against Nashville presents a new opportunity for the 30-year-old, who may be overthinking the game, as Berube alluded to Wednesday night.

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