Nylander takes positive steps at centre in Leafs’ pre-season loss

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There’s nothing more important in the pre-season than for veteran players to get their timing and rhythm into proper order.

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For the Maple Leafs’ William Nylander, there’s a different and crucial element in the process this fall. 

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In the Leafs’ first exhibition game on Sunday afternoon, Nylander’s first steps toward his adjustment to playing centre were positive. 

During a 3-2 loss in Ottawa against the Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre, Nylander led the Leafs with five shots on goal, had eight attempts, was typically around the puck throughout the game and had some initial chemistry with new Leafs forward Max Domi. After getting behind in the faceoff circle, Nylander finished at 50%, winning 11 of 22 draws.

In the final 20 seconds, Nylander nearly tied the game after taking a pass from Domi but was stymied by Sens goalie Anton Forsberg.

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Really, there shouldn’t be any doubt as to whether Nylander can take up playing centre on a full-time basis. He has spent enough time at the position previously in his hockey career, and his speed and smarts up the middle would be an asset for the Leafs.

There’s confidence from the coaching staff — and from general manager Brad Treliving, who pushed the idea of Nylander playing centre over the goal line — that the 27-year-old can flourish at centre. 

Nylander’s play on Sunday was a good start.

GAME ON

Perhaps it was because they travelled earlier in the day or they needed some time to get accustomed to each other, but the Leafs weren’t overly competitive in the first period. Shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes were 24-7 for Ottawa, which had a 2-0 lead at the intermission on goals by Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. In the second and third periods combined, the Leafs outshot the Senators 30-8 … Keith Petruzzelli started in net for the Leafs and was sharp before giving way to Dennis Hildeby to start the third. Hildeby’s biggest stop came on Stutzle, who couldn’t jam the puck in from the side of the net for what would have been his third goal of the game … After Stutzle scored late in the first period on a screen, there was Matthew Knies hustling on the next shift, creating a turnover in the offensive zone that led to a scoring chance. That sort of energy helped Knies earn coach Sheldon Keefe’s trust in the playoffs last spring … Fitting that Domi took the Leafs’ first penalty of the pre-season when he was called for roughing Artem Zub at 13 seconds of the first period. In 777 games with the Leafs, Tie Domi amassed a franchise-record 2,256 penalty minutes. And then there is the close relationship the younger Domi has with Mats Sundin, whose No. 13 hands from the rafters at Scotiabank Arena … There was a brief scare for the Leafs when defenceman Timothy Liljegren was tripped into the end boards by Parker Kelly in the first minute of the second period. Liljegren came up wincing, but remained on the ice. Kelly was penalized for tripping. Later in the period, Liljegren nicely broke up a 2-on-1 … William Lagesson is bound to get a look if the Leafs have injuries on the blue line, and we got an idea of his shot when he wired the puck past Forsberg at 9:32 of the second period. Forward Alex Steeves, who has put up 42 goals in the past two seasons with the Toronto Marlies, scored on a similar laser to tie the game on a Toronto power play late in the second. Less than a minute after the Steeves goal, Stutzle scored his second of the game as Kyle Clifford served a minor for goaltender interference. That wound up being the winning goal … Morgan Rielly annually leads the Leafs in ice time and Sunday was no different. The veteran defenceman logged 25 minutes 43 seconds, most among Toronto skaters. Nylander led Leafs forwards with 23 minutes six seconds, including just over a minute on the penalty kill … Safe to say that Roni Hirvonen has fully recovered from a concussion that he suffered during the Leafs’ prospect camp in July. Hirvonen’s energy was evident from start to finish, and he contributed an assist and four shots on goal. Steeves had similar jump … Conor Timmins’ offence has been noted and the defenceman assisted on both Leafs goals. Still, there are defensive strides for Timmins to make. If the Leafs defence corps gets through the pre-season in good health, Timmins at best would be the seventh defenceman … Among the Leafs we’re bound to see on Monday night in the rematch between Toronto and Ottawa at Scotiabank Arena are Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, captain John Tavares, Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Reaves, John Klingberg, TJ Brodie and Jake McCabe. All of them were spared the one-day trip to the nation’s capital on Sunday.

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