Leafs wear Borje Salming shoulder patch in win over Wild


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ST. PAUL, Minn. – William Nylander’s arms had some extra pop in them when he scored and then raised his stick in celebration.

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Maybe it was that blue and gold Borje Salming shoulder patch he and the Maple Leafs put on their shoulders for Friday’s game.

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“That goal was for Borje for sure,” said Nylander of the 4-3 winner against the Wild that also tied him with Salming for second-most goals by a Swedish Leaf (148).

“It was a tough day yesterday (seven Swedes are on Toronto’s roster) and nice to get the win for him.”

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The players were informed of Salming’s death from ALS when general manager Kyle Dubas called a pre-practice meeting Thursday in St. Paul.

“It’s very hard to process,” said Nylander, who knew Salming through his NHL father Michael before drafted by Toronto. “It is a terrible disease and at least now he is not hurting.”

The Wild held a moment of silence before the game, while the Leafs unveiled a blue Salming-era team crest topped by a gold crown for ‘The King, incorporating both colours of the Swedish flag with a capitalized BORJE in the middle.

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Nylander tying Salming wasn’t the only Leaf coincidence involving No. 21 on this trip. Coach Sheldon Keefe noted Wednesday in New Jersey was their 21st game of the season, a 2-1 win where another Swede, Pontus Holmberg, had his first NHL goal.

There is sure to be recognition of Salming’s passing when the Leafs play next at home Wednesday against San Jose, but the club was able to honour him in person two weeks ago, during the Hall of Fame Game and a night later with his own themed tribute.

“Our team was really touched by Borje and his family being in Toronto,” Keefe said. “(His death) hits us that much harder. We feel deeply sad for his family, his fans and everyone that he’s touched. It’s a difficult time not to be at home with our fans.”

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INGE LOSES LEAF PAL

Back in Sweden, one former teammate of Salming’s was particularly affected by Salming’s passing. Inge Hammarstrom, who accompanied Salming to the Leafs in 1973 and played 440 regular season and playoff games with Toronto and St. Louis, had planned to visit him in Stockholm on Thursday.

“I had saw him before he went to Toronto and he couldn’t speak,” Hammarstrom told Hockey Unfiltered’s Ken Campbell. “It was a lot of tears that day and I was really in bad shape when I left him. I didn’t think he was going to be able to make it to Toronto, but he said, ‘I must go,’ and I’m very glad he made it and had a chance to say goodbye to all his fans in Toronto.”

FAMILY HOLL TOGETHER

The Leafs are playing three games in four days, but for Justin Holl, his U.S. Thanksgiving dinner lined up perfectly with an off day in his home state of Minnesota.

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“I went to my parents’ house and my brother’s,” the defenceman said. “It was great to see family before you get back to the grind.

“It’s exciting. Every time you come here, you have a lot of family in the stands, you want to perform well and want to win.”

Toronto took a 14-13 lead in franchise history versus the Wild.

LOOSE LEAFS

New defenceman Conor Timmins might debut Saturday in Pittsburgh. But there’s nothing to be hyper critical about how Mac Hollowell has done through his first two NHL games, or Victor Mete’s play Friday after he was activated following an injury to a fourth blueliner, Jordie Benn. “They all did a heck of a job,” said Matt Murray. “Always in the right spots and they broke out really nicely. That makes our job a little easier. The only talking I do with them is basic communication on the ice. They take care of the rest” … Murray got the blue and gold wrestling belt as hardest worker on Friday, from Wednesday’s nominee Holmberg … Keefe did not hide his disdain for the NHL schedule maker for having his team hop back and forth between time zones on the same condensed trip.

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