How Swede it is!
The Leafs made their way overseas on Tuesday as they were set to participate in the Global Series in Stockholm, Sweden. Four teams made the trip to Sweden: the Leafs, Red Wings, Senators, and the Wild. The blue and white played their first of two games Friday afternoon as they faced off against the Detroit Red Wings. This marks the first time in Franchise history that the Leafs have ever played a regular season game outside North America.
First Star – William Nylander
It’s almost too poetic that Nylander got things going for the Leafs in this one. Through the first 40 minutes of action, the blue and white weren’t generating much at all offensively. Nylander was riding a 15-game point streak to start the season coming into this one, and in the third period, he extended the streak to 16 games. He played a total of 20:31 in this one, where he scored a goal, had two assists, was plus two, he fired four shots on goal, and he also threw a hit. On his first assist of the game, he was absolutely dancing in the offensive zone, and he found a wide-open Tyler Bertuzzi right on the doorstep, who made no mistake finishing off a beautiful pass from Nylander to get the Leafs on the board. Ten minutes later, Nylander struck again, this time with a goal of his own to tie the game 2-2 with 6:57 to go in regulation. He wasn’t done there either, as he started a play that ended with John Tavares scoring the eventual game-winning goal just 1:24 after Nylander tied the game. Nylander would go on to be named the first star of the game as well as the player of the game. Also worth noting, this was the first time his Grandmother had the opportunity to watch him play live in the NHL in his career. Everyone keeps wondering when Nylander’s production is going to slow down, but honestly, I do not see any signs of him slowing down any time soon. He truly is entering superstar status with the way he is playing this season.
Second Star – John Tavares
Another fantastic performance from the Leafs captain in this one. While he only played 16:57, he scored a goal, had two assists, was plus-two, fired just a single shot on goal, blocked a shot, had a takeaway, and was 70% in the faceoff circle as well. With his three points in this one, he is now just six points shy of having 1000 points in his career. He was noticeable every time he was on the ice today. I’m not sure what he worked on in the offseason, but he seems to be a step or two faster than he was last year. Especially with his first stride or two when he has the puck on his stick. Every year, people try to argue that Tavares has started to decline in terms of production, and every year, he continues to prove them wrong. Through 16 games this season, John has seven goals and 12 assists for a total of 19 points. Throughout the majority of his career, he has always been a point-per-game player, and he’s accomplished that once again with the start he has had to this season.
Third Star – Tyler Bertuzzi
He has arrived. There’s no denying the fact that it has been a subpar start for Bertuzzi with the Leafs. He struggled in training camp, and he did not get off to a great start through the first 13 games to start the regular season either. However, over the past week or so, Tyler has shown improvement with each passing game. His performance today was above and beyond his best in a Leafs jersey. He played a total of just 15:48 in this one, where he scored a goal, had the primary assist on the game-winning goal, was plus two, he fired seven shots on goal, threw two hits, and he also had a takeaway. He truly did everything in this game that Leafs Nation was ever so impatiently waiting for him to do this whole time. Leafs fans are hoping he can build off of this performance and continue to be a presence on the wing with Tavares and Nylander.
Honorable mention to Ilya Samsonov in this one as well. He had a rocky start to the game, but he shut the door and came up with key saves when the Leafs needed him the most. He stopped 27 of the 29 shots he faced, giving him a 0.931 save percentage.
The Leafs play their second and final game in Sweden as they are set to do battle with the Minnesota Wild on Sunday morning. It’ll be an early rise Leafs Nation; the game is set to begin at 8 AM EST.
