That’s how it played out during the first several months of the 2023-24 regular season for the Maple Leafs winger, as Nylander was leading the team in scoring with 54 points in 37 games when he signed an eight-year extension on Jan. 8. By the time the season ended, Nylander set a career-high with 98 points and tied his career-high with 40 goals.

The Caps looked poised to beat the Maple Leafs after losing all three meetings last season before a late third-period comeback by Toronto led to an overtime defeat.