The Maple Leafs enjoyed a day off the ice in Seattle on Wednesday.

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William Nylander scored his second career hat trick on Tuesday. It came exactly eight years to the day after his first one.

"No way," the Leafs winger said with a smile. "That's wild."

The big performance resonated even more because of the venue. Nylander was born in Calgary in 1996 when his dad played for the Flames. He only spent two years in the city and doesn't remember those early Alberta days, but still feels a connection.

"Scoring in my birth town, putting up a hatty, that's something I'll remember," he said.

The huge contingent of Leafs fans in attendance inside the Scotiabank Saddledome rained hats down on the ice after Nylander scored his third goal into an empty net to seal a 6-3 win.

"We have a huge following and the best fans," said Nylander, who was drafted in 2014 by the Leafs and is in the first year of an eight-year contract extension. "The support we get from our fans is tremendous so to see those hats come down is special."

In the moments after the game, Nylander was asked how he planned to celebrate.

"I don't know, just on to Seattle," the 28-year-old told TSN before breaking into a smile. "I don't know, maybe a day off tomorrow."

"He likes days off, I'll tell you that," coach Craig Berube said with a laugh. "We'll see. I'll have a chat with him about it."

In the end, Nylander got his wish. The Leafs cancelled Wednesday's practice and held a team stretch instead.

"A lot of travel right now," Berube explained. "And, you know, competitive game last night. There's guys that played a lot of minutes."

The Leafs are in the middle of a season long 10-day trip, which will continue with a game against the Kraken on Thursday.

Nylander certainly earned a rest after scoring three times on Tuesday and, in the process, extending his goal streak to three games. He's now second in the NHL with 33 goals, which is four behind Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.

Nylander is on pace for 51 goals, which would shatter his previous career high of 40 set in each of the last two seasons. He's never finished higher than a tie for 14th in the Rocket Richard Trophy race. But now, suddenly, it feels like the goal-scoring crown may be within reach.

"No doubt," Berube said. "I mean, this guy gets chances every game, and good ones. He's world class, in my opinion, with his shot, his speed, his agility. He does a lot of really good things. I mean, whether he wins it or not I don't know, but he's doing a lot of good things every night that gives him an opportunity to."

Nylander raised eyebrows before Tuesday's game when he said he knew nothing about Flames rookie goalie Dustin Wolf and didn't plan to research him before the game. Nylander explained that he prefers to rely on his instincts. That's probably a good approach considering he has some of the best goal-scoring instincts in the........

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