We are here to present you a story of two hockey players’ lives, as they journey through life in the NHL. From the Prime Video television series “Faceoff”, we at Last Word On Hockey present you with a deeper look into the stories behind the main characters of each episode. From the show’s first episode, this is the story of the interconnectivity of the two current NHL stars, William Nylander and David Pastrnak.
“Faceoff” on Prime Video: Season One, Episode One Review
The show begins with a normal day in Toronto, Ontario, you know, the unanimous Mecca of the hockey world. As Nylander casually takes his two dogs for a walk, he reminds us of who he is and where he is.
Nylander says of the people and the atmosphere in Toronto, “Everybody cares. They know the scores. They know what happened.”
People are constantly coming up to him asking about last night’s game or maybe a quick selfie request. Coming to the bright lights of Toronto, Nylander was initially amazed at the sheer size of the city. The fact that the city is hockey obsessed only compounded the atmosphere.
Nylander and Pastrnak and Sodertalje in Sweden
For Nylander, he sets the tone in the show about having come from a hockey city himself, but on a much smaller scale. In fact, that’s where the other star of the episode enters the picture. William Nylander and David Pastrnak were just a couple kids playing hockey for the Sodertalje junior team at 16 years old. Ironically enough, they couldn’t even talk to each other.
Pastrnak didn’t speak English and Nylander didn’t speak Czech. However, the language they both spoke fluently was hockey. They quickly showed chemistry on the ice, and off, too, becoming close friends. Pastrnak was full of praise for Willy’s game at that time, for being better than him. His high-level skill was undeniable, even as a teenager. Both of theirs was, evidently.
However, for a couple of youngsters who seem to have it all, as they’d both quickly learn, life comes at you fast. Even for those we, as fans, tend to think of as superhumans, life can still be humbling. Real quick.
David Pastrnak Early Years in Czech Republic
To really understand what is happening, you need to realize that Nylander and Pastrnak came from very different backgrounds. Pastrnak grew up in Havirov, Czech Republic. Furthermore, the show mentions Pasta’s mom having to work three jobs just to make it. To chase the dream for her son to go away to play hockey. Then, while away from home in Sweden, Pastrnak ends up losing his father, when David was still just 17. That was really where the friendship grew between Willy and Pasta. Of course, being sympathetic helped that William came from humble beginnings.
William Nylander and Coming From a Hockey Family
The whole Nylander family understood the hockey world. William’s brother, Alex, has played in the NHL. In addition, their father was a long-time NHLer. They even have a sister who is a professional tennis player.
It all started with their father, Michael Nylander. In fact, he has been known with the nickname as The Swedish Wayne Gretzky. After all, he did compile 679 points in 920 career NHL games. As a member of the Calgary Flames, that’s when William and Alex were born.
It all meant that the knew the family side of hockey, too. That’s why it was so important for William to be their for David, when times got hard. For David, he felt the rink was a place to keep him from getting bored. It was a way to forget about things, and just play.
One aspect the show didn’t go into detail on, but we will to paint the picture of family. And how Michael and William were there for David in his early days in Sweden as a teenager. During the NHL lockout to start the 2012-13 campaign, players traveled high and low looking for a skate. One of the beneficiaries, given their immense history in hockey, was Sodertalje. As part of the All-Svenska, Swedish hockey league, they had a pretty stacked lineup, especially for a team not in the country’s top division. NHL veterans like Carl Hagelin, Cam Fowler, and Jonathan Ericsson passed through their that season.
The Nylanders were lucky in a sense. It was injuries that had ended Michael’s NHL career, and a big reason why he was available for Sodertalje that year. But getting to play alongside his son, William, was, no doubt, a memory that neither of them would forget. Pastrnak was also there at that time, further cementing the bond between them. Furthermore, a current NHL goaltender, Anton Forsberg, was just coming up the ranks and played there too, all year. It was quite the magical situation when it all boils down to it. For William and David, in particular, it was an experience that would last a lifetime.
Pastrnak and Overcoming Adversity
This was all before their eventual, and successful we might add, too, NHL careers. Even in the NHL, “Pasta” continually had to face the human side of a hockey player’s life. Now, he and his partner have a beautiful daughter, Freya. However, Pasta had lost his son, Viggo, at just six days old. It was something it took a long time to get passed. After having experienced so much adversity, all the success he has had at the NHL level, has not been without blood, sweat, and tears, to be sure.
Leafs vs Bruins, Nylander vs Pastrnak, 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
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It all culminates to the build up to the show. The two players meet in the first round of the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Then, we are suddenly hit with another major curveball. A generally, very healthy Nylander, experiences a bad case of migraines. He ends up missing the first three games of the series. A huge blow to the Leafs lineup, as he is counted on as one of their top offensive forces.
To gear the viewers up for the atmosphere that is the NHL playoffs, we have some segues. From the narrative of the show, hockey players like P.K. Subban suggesting hockey players in the playoffs play injured, not just hurt. When you consider the why? Well, because they love it, of course.
Case in point, Nylander knew he had to get back in the series. Everyone knew he would. This is where a candid moment arises in the show. The interviewer on the show poses the question to Nylander, “You thrive under pressure, right?”
Nylander’s response, modest to say the least, “I try to.”
That being said, Nylander and his Toronto Maple Leaf squad did rise to the occasion. In that first round playoff series versus the Boston Bruins, once Nylander came back, the Leafs battled back. The Leafs rallied after being down 3-1, to force a Game 7.
Series Tied, Nylander and Pastrnak Head to Game 7
For Nylander individually, in just four games in the series, he had three goals. None of those goals were bigger than in that Game 7. Halfway through the third period, Nylander gave the Leafs a 1-0 lead. However, only 81 seconds later, the Bruins would tie the game at one. The game was destined for overtime.
In the overtime intermission you could just feel the pressure in the respective dressing rooms. In a must win, do-or-die scenario, everyone is trying their best to remain calm. And yet, still keep themselves ready for a battle of a lifetime. They need to dig deep, who has that extra gear? Who’s going to take care of their own responsibilities, and rise to occasion, to overcome, to find a way to score a goal, to win.
In the playoffs, you want to ride your horses. You get that impressive as Pastrnak always wanted to out there. The play came around and you notice Pastrnak. Moreover, he was unable to go. He had to quickly re-tape his stick. You could sense the frustration on the bench, of simply being unavailable for that one shift.
Then all of a sudden, Pastrnak bursts out. “Yeah, yeah, I’m ready.”
It wasn’t long after and it happened. Hampus Lindholm played the puck seemingly harmlessly into the Leaf corner. However, it did end up in the no man’s land, near the goaltender’s trapezoid. And who was first to the puck? None other than silky-smooth Pastrnak himself. Who’s then able to make a quick move and get it around Leafs netminder Ilya Samsonov.
It truly was a dramatic end to the first episode. Two hockey career friends, battling out in a Game 7 playoff series. As two of the most important players in the series. It was a great way to kickoff the Faceoff series for Prime Video. Especially featuring two historic original six rivals.
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
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