How William Nylander’s playmaking and consistency have redefined his role in Toronto Maple Leafs

The scenario on Wednesday was like a scene out of a movie with a packed crowd cheering for William Nylander, who knelt and shot perfectly over the goalie of the Utah Mammoths, Vitek Vanecek, thus marking his sixth goal of the season and one of the minor cuts of what has already become the best start of his NHL career. The Canadian forward has been nothing less than great with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in the first 11 games, which not only ties him for the second place among the NHL points leaders but also places him in a situation where he has played fewer games than most of his counterparts.Not only did Nylander’s head coach, Craig Berube, commend Berube for being able to do so, but he also mentioned that the player could score.“He's always scored lots of goals, but I think this year he's making more plays with the puck and getting assists,” Berube said Friday. "He's an underrated passer. I mean, he's a good playmaker, but he's always scored a lot of goals.” That statement indirectly correlates with the numbers: a total of 11 primary assists out of 14 in the case of Nylander, and being equal to Evgeni Malkin in the lead for the league in this category.

Among the rest of the Leaf players, only Matthew Knies has gotten even close with nine primary assists.

How William Nylander’s timely scoring Is powering the Maple Leafs

The two-goal game by Nylander versus the Pittsburgh Penguins that took place this week was a perfect illustration of his influence. He was a big part of the third-period comeback that resulted in a 4-3 win, and a whole group of players have already mentioned how much he is able to grow in these situations. “I just think it's his timely goal-scoring.

The quality of goals in big spots, in big moments,” said goalie Anthony Stolarz.

“He has come up huge.”Out of the total points, fourteen of Nylander's 20 points have been scored during the victories of Toronto, which has directly contributed to the team's recent three-game winning streak. When asked if his performance is a breakthrough, Nylander grinned and replied, “Just trying to play better every year... and perhaps a good Halloween party contributed as well.”While Boston will be in town Saturday night, the Leafs will once again depend on their newly found offensive power — a superbly playing Nylander, who is performing at the peak of his career.More coverage on NHL What’s really happening between David Kampf and the Maple Leafs? Inside the riftNHL Trade Rumors: Elliotte Friedman reveals Philadelphia Flyers eyeing $17-25M extension for Trevor ZegrasNHL Rumors: Brendan Shanahan’s next move could involve Buffalo Sabres or Chicago Blackhawks