William Nylander Coming Off Special Game as Maple Leafs Take on Kraken
Nylander’s Hat Trick Highlights Toronto’s Win Over Calgary
For Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander, Feb. 4 seems to be a lucky day.
On Tuesday, Nylander recorded his second career hat trick, leading the Maple Leafs (30-16-8) to a 6-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. His first three-goal game? Exactly seven years earlier, on Feb. 4, 2017.
“It was nice,” Nylander said. “I didn’t really expect that to happen, but I’ve had a lot of other games with two goals and not been able to score the third. It was nice it finally went in.”
Nylander now has 33 goals this season, ranking second in the NHL behind Leon Draisaitl (37).
The Maple Leafs continue their four-game Western Conference road trip with a stop in Seattle on Thursday night to take on the Kraken (24-21-10).
Maple Leafs Continue Strong Road Play
Toronto dominated Calgary behind:
✔ Nylander’s hat trick
✔ Auston Matthews’ three-assist performance
✔ Matthew Knies (1G, 1A) stepping up
✔ Goaltender Joseph Woll (23 saves) holding strong
Joseph Woll on Nylander’s Scoring Ability:
“I was just laughing. In practice, he scored on me every time he shot. So as soon as he got the puck on the 2-on-1, I’m like, ‘No question he’s going to score.’ He’s a special player.”
Seattle Kraken: Battling Back But Coming Up Short
Seattle is 1-2-1 on its current five-game homestand, losing 5-4 in a shootout to Detroit on Tuesday.
Key Performances vs. Detroit:
- Shane Wright (2 goals)
- Matty Beniers (1 goal)
- Joey Daccord (36 saves)
Game Preview & Key Storylines
🔥 Nylander on fire – Can he score again after his hat trick?
🔥 Leafs’ goaltending – Does Woll get the nod again?
🔥 Seattle’s resilience – Can they convert late-game surges into wins?
Toronto won the first meeting 4-1 on Oct. 31. Can they complete the season sweep and stay hot on the road?