With about a minute left in extra time at 1-1, the Swede got rid of the puck in the offensive corner.
But the 26-year-old did not give up.
He caught up, fished the puck up again with the stick, turned around, outsmarted a defender and, in the end, checked away compatriot Filip Gustavsson in the cage.
- First I lost it in the corner, and tried to get into the goal.
I think the keeper tried to poke it away and get it under the glove.
So I tried to get it up so he wouldn't reach it, says a smiling William Nylander at the press conference after the game.
Before that, Nylander had also been involved in the equalizing goal in the first period, where after a few dribbles behind the goal cage he found David Kampf, who quickly scored to make it 1-1.
- He got free there, so it wasn't difficult to give him the puck and he played well with it, got it up, says Nylander.
He is satisfied with the home team's effort, which paid off in the end.
- Patience is super important.
We played 1-1 for 60 minutes.
We didn't want to force anything, he says.
William Nylander has so far scored 33 goals and tops the internal scoring league.
He has also accounted for 37 assists.
Only Mitchell Marner has done more in Toronto this season.