Squaring off with nearly identical records entering Wednesday’s contest, the Toronto Maple Leafs were presented with a key opportunity to get out of a rut against a quality Minnesota Wild team, with a four-game road trip on the horizon before the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

With the 4 Nations Face-Off quickly approaching, William Nylander has fired a playful little warning shot at Maple Leafs teammate Auston Matthews. This

John Hynes knows that William Nylander can lead the Maple Leafs out of the little hole they’ve dug for themselves. The Leafs have scored just two goals in losing their past two games, and neither came off the stick of Nylander after the star winger had four goals in the previous three games, all Toronto victories.

Matthews and Nylander both scored two goals as Toronto battled back from 2-1 and 3-2 deficits in the third period to beat New Jersey 4-3.

The 4-Nations Face-Off is just around the corner, at which point the top players from the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden will battle in a coveted tournament. It'll be a chance for players to represent their nation on one of the sport's biggest stages.

On Wednesday, ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs facing the Wild later tonight, Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin, who is also the GM for Team USA at the Four Nations Face-Off, confirmed that Auston Matthews is ready to play in the upcoming tournament.

With the NHL getting ready to shut down soon for the first ever 4 Nations Face-Off, Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander was asked if there were any side bets among teammates that will be going up against each other.