Auston Matthews continues to deal with a lingering upper-body injury. Would it be best for the team and player to rest in February during the 4 Nations Face-Off? The Toronto Maple Leafs, like the other 31 teams in the NHL, have been off the ice from December 24-26 as part of the league’s three-day holiday break. Though the organizations put hockey activities on hold, the Nylander family, including William and Alex, decided to pick up where they left off and play shinny alongside three of their sisters on an outdoor rink. Sibling Ella shared an Instagram carousel [https://www.instagram.com/p/DEBeYhxtMYe/?img_index=1] on Christmas Day, featuring images and videos of the family on the outdoor rink and included festive photos of the family’s holiday celebrations. This isn’t ‘Willy Styles’ first time playing outdoors. He was previously seen skating outside in Toronto in the Prime Video docuseries ‘FACEOFF: Inside the NHL’ on Prime Video which was released at the beginning of October. It’s presumed the rink was located in Toronto, where William and the Maple Leafs get set to travel to Detroit for a meeting with the Red Wings on Friday when NHL action resumes. Alex, who recently rejoined the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, also needed to be in Toronto as the club faced the Belleville Senators on Thursday. THE NYLANDER BROS Their respective seasons have been noteworthy ones. William is in the midst of a season-high seven-game point streak, tallying six goals, six assists, and 12 points during that stretch. Through 35 games, he has amassed 23 goals, 17 assists, and 40 points, tying for second in league goals behind only Leon Draisaitl (24). [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BIeN9aMKd4[/embed] Alex, meanwhile, has been thriving with the Marlies. He has produced at a point-per-game pace with 12 goals and seven assists in 19 games. His 19 points rank second on the team, trailing only Alex Steeves, who leads with 25 points. However, no moment was bigger than when the two had the chance to play together in the NHL for the first time. When injuries depleted the Maple Leafs’ lineup over the past month, Alex was called up and appeared in five games. While he didn’t register a point, the opportunity was a special moment for the family before he was loaned back to the Marlies in the middle of December. As the NHL’s holiday break wraps up, the Nylander brothers will look to continue their strong campaigns as the season approaches the halfway mark. There’s always a chance the two could reunite at the NHL level, providing another opportunity to share the ice this season. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExNjM5NDEwNTc4NDM0MDI0/googlenews.svg] Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, break news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwytvfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story.
