Alex and William Nylander have never played hockey head to head against one another.
That will change tonight when the Nylander Bros. will play against one another when the Maple Leafs visit the Sabres.
First NHL game against the hated rival with your brother in enemy colors. Pretty cool, eh, Alex?
"It’s kind of crazy that I’m going to play against my brother in my first game. I’m just super excited and very pumped", Nylander told the Sabres website.
The Sabres selected Alex Nylander eighth overall at the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, the last NHL player to make his debut against his brother's team was Marcus Foligno on December 20, 2011 at Ottawa.
Marcus played Nick head to head.
Tonight, Marcus Foligno will provide protection and time and space for Nylander and Evan Rodrigues. Moose is paying the brotherly hockey love forward. He will no doubt be talking with and coaching Alex on the bench between shifts.
Alex Nylander has scored 9 goals and 18 assists in 62 games for the Rochester Amerks this season.
William has 59 points in 75 games played this season.
Dan Bylsma said that Alex Nylander's deception and high skill may make him a better NHL player than AHL player.
“Alex is a talented, skilled player,… Bylsma said. “He’s got deception in his game both from his shot and his playmaking ability. I think there’s a good chance that you’ll see him maybe have a little more success than he’s maybe had so far this year in Roche
Nylander starred for Sweden at the IIHF World Junior Championships, where he was named to the tournament All-Star Team after tying for the tournament lead with 5 goals and 7 assists in seven games played.
Willie was Alex's shooter tutor. No wonder Snipeshow has such a sick shot.
"I actually played goalie when I was a kid so he'd be shooting on me all the time," he said. "I think that's how he got a good shot".
Let the sibling rivalry begin!
"We're brothers. We always want to be better than each other," William said. "It'll be fun."
"We've always had a winning culture," Alex said. "Sometimes some fights broke out but at the end of the day we're best friends."
One wonders which son Michael Nylander will cheer for tonight.
"Pops" was known as the "Swedish Wayne Gretzky" when he was tearing up the Swedish Elite League.
Papa Michael played 920 NHL games. The elder Nylander scored 209 goals and 470 assists. His sons now will keep the Nylander NHL legacy alive.
****
The home team has won 24 of the last 29 games between the Sabres and the Maple Leafs.
The Sabres are 18-2-1 in their last 21 home games against the Maple Leafs. Toronto’s win in Buffalo on Novmber 3, 2016 snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Sabres that lasted 1,373 days.
Each team has won a road game the series this season, marking the first time the Sabres and Maple Leafs have won in each other’s arenas in the same season since 2012-13.
The Maple Leafs haven’t won consecutive games in Buffalo since March 21 and December 12, 2008.
***
Welcome to the fifth and final installation of the Border war between the Buffalo Sabres Leafs this season.
On Saturday March 25, the Buffalo trounced Toronto 5-2 in Buffalo.
Jack Eichel scored two goals and the Sabres got singles from Ryan O'Reilly, Evander Kane, and Dmitry Kulikov.
Remember these guys?
Charming lads, aren't they?
Knock, knock. Who's there?! #BattleOfQEW pic.twitter.com/4K439SPJpr
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) April 3, 2017
More to come...