William Nylander comments on Myers' hit on Tavares, standing up for his teammate, and Jake McCabe stepping in

It's not often you see William Nylander being the one to step up for a teammate. As a matter of fact, it's one of his detractors' biggest criticisms of the Calgary-born Swedish star. That wasn't the case on Saturday night though, as a huge, and in my opinion, dirty hit on John Tavares from Tyler Myers caught his attention. I'll admit to having a chuckle at Nylander going after all 6'8 of Myers after the hit, but I have to say, it was refreshing to see from him.

Luckily for Nylander, help came quickly as Leafs newcomer Jake McCabe came flying in to take on Myers himself. The fight was short, much shorter than the 17 minutes in penalties McCabe had to serve for stepping in.

After practice on Monday, Nylander was asked about the incident. His answer had everyone laughing.



Nylander may have feared for his physical well being going in there, with good reason. Tyler Myers is a massive human being, but he still stood up for his Captain. As fans, that's all we've wanted to see since he arrived in Toronto. It was a small bright spot in what was otherwise a rough effort for the Leafs, who were playing their third road game in a third city in four nights. Lets hope with God, or Jake McCabe, on his side, Nylander continues to bring a little more edge to his game as we approach playoff time!