3 takeaways from Leafs-Blues: Nylander’s sensational goal could be turning point, Stecher’s excellent debut

William Nylander bookended Tuesday’s game in the type of galvanizing fashion that only he could pull off. Nylander scored one of the best goals of the season, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues, snapping a five-game losing skid. It was a glorious goal, that very well could be the turning point if the Maple Leafs rally out of a November slump. And it didn’t always appear to be a magical night for Nylander.

During the opening minutes of the game, Nylander inexplicably batted a puck into Joseph Woll’s net, for the game’s opening goal. Nylander didn’t have a real answer for the mistake afterwards, only noting that he apologized to Woll, which was graciously accepted.

It was the 20th game of the season, so pace yourself accordingly, but it could be viewed as a must-win game. Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving held a quarterly press conference on Tuesday morning, which served as a de facto state of the union, after the team’s sorely disappointing start to the year. Treliving provided head coach Craig Berube with a vote of confidence, while a battered and beleaguered roster took the ice on Tuesday.

Matthew Knies was ruled out an hour before the game. Berube later explained that Knies was dealing with a lingering injury, and told Sammy Blais to be on standby following Tuesday’s morning skate. Blais left the game during the third period, and Berube revealed he was coughing up blood afterwards.

“I thought we battled hard,” Berube assessed post-game. “The guys were competitive. I thought our checking game was pretty good for the most part throughout the game. Managed the game well. Really liked our first period. Woll was really good. We had a lot of guys in there that are new and haven’t played, but I thought they did a good job.”

Here are three takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 win over the Blues: 

William Nylander’s sensational goal could be a turning point for Maple Leafs

William Nylander scored one of the best goals of the 2025-26 NHL calendar, which may serve as a turning point for the Maple Leafs. It’s too early to count the Maple Leafs out and Nylander has an uncanny ability to respond to challenges presented during the regular season. After notching an own goal during the first period, it’s only fitting that Nylander walked it off with a sensational goal of his own.

Nylander took a pass from Morgan Rielly, waltzed around Dylan Holloway, then dangled Jordan Binnington out of his skates for the overtime victory. It was Nylander’s ninth goal of the season, and at the time of this filing, he’s tied for third in NHL scoring. John Tavares did an outstanding job of fending off three Blues defenders on the wall, before the puck broke free to Rielly.

“I mentioned it to the team, because that’s what he’s all about,” Berube said. “And that play there symbolizes John Tavares: 3-on-1, keeps the puck alive. Morgan gets in there quickly and makes a play. And Willy does what he does.”

Nylander didn’t always dictate play at 5-on-5, and was looking to pick his spots. He couldn’t have selected a better time to show off his extraordinary skill set, while remaining cool, calm and collected. It’s just one moment, in one game, but remember this moment if the Leafs actualize their lofty goals this season.

“His persona is kind of his superpower,” Joseph Woll said of Nylander post-game.

Troy Stecher was arguably the best player in his Leafs’ debut

Troy Stecher was arguably the Maple Leafs’ best player in his team debut. Stecher told reporters Monday that he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder after being claimed off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers and he responded with an excellent game.

“Good game, skated, moved the puck well,” Berube said post-game. “Competitive. All the things that we know of him, but I really liked his feet tonight. I thought he was aggressive, moved his feet really well.”

Stecher provides a different look for the Maple Leafs as a mobile, right-handed defenceman, and he was actively jumping into the rush. The single-game stats support the idea that Stecher made a tremendous impact, while drawing an early penalty on Pavel Buchnevich. Stecher finished with a team-best 79.9 percent share of the expected goals at 5-on-5 via Natural Stat Trick, and his teammates couldn’t be happier.

“Troy Stecher, stepping in with a new team, he was excellent,” Maple Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe said. “Just poise with the puck, skating. Just simple plays. It made a difference. He gave us a little spark on the back end. He was vocal, too. He’s not some young guy coming in here, he’s been around. We want to make sure he feels comfortable here. Can’t speak highly enough about him because he was excellent tonight.”

“Troy was great tonight,” Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz said. “Mobile defenceman, undersized but he’s not afraid to go into those corners, and he’s winning puck battles. Stick on puck, just taking guys bodies and taking their hands away, it was great to see. We’re really happy to have him.”

You don’t want to categorize a No. 6 defenceman as a star, or exploit expectations, but Stecher has an opportunity to make a real impact for the Maple Leafs, and he used his speed and tenacity to great effect against the Blues.

Easton Cowan, Jacob Quillan make the most of increased opportunity

One of the unintended benefits of an injury-ridden lineup is that it presents increased opportunities for younger players. Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan were among the Leafs’ best forwards during Tuesday’s win. Quillan was playing in his second career NHL game, where his pace was a weapon throughout the night, and his teammates agreed.

“Q, he’s got great speed,” Berube said of Quillan pre-game. “He’s fast, he’s powerful for a young kid. He’s going to bring energy to the game. He’s going to work. He’s going to compete, that’s what he’s going to bring to the game tonight.

Cowan was assertive throughout the game and narrowly missed what would’ve been the best goal of his young career. The 20-year-old danced around Philip Broberg in the neutral zone, flew into the offensive zone and fired a shot off the post. Cowan was shaking his head on the bench afterwards, but he was the best player on his line and the Leafs controlled 71 percent of the expected goals when he was on the ice, trailing only Stecher and Max Domi.

As for Quillan, he’s slated to play Thursday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was tenacious throughout the contest, throwing hits and using his speed to create separation during the game.

“Quill looked great tonight,” Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz said post-game.

“I think he’s gained a step, too. For a young kid, it’s only his second (NHL career game) for him. The guys were very excited for him. He was all over the ice. Centre is not an easy position to play in this league and to be able to play a handful minutes tonight, he played more than a handful of minutes. He looked comfortable out there. He was taking pucks from the middle of the ice, which can be overwhelming as a young guy, but for him to show that maturity in his game, it’s great to see.”

Berube also appeared to reinforce his pre-game assessment after the 3-2 victory.

“Last year, to this year, a lot of growth, from what I saw tonight in the game. Comfortable and confident in his play. His speed is dangerous, he got behind the D a couple of times. Overall, I thought he was a pretty good player for us tonight,” Berube said of Quillan post-game.