It was just over one year ago today that former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner played his final game with the franchise he’d spent his entire NHL career after being taken in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft.
Marner and the Maple Leafs were soundly defeated on their home ice in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal by the Florida Panthers. During the second period, Marner was seen during a television timeout screaming at his teammates on the bench to increase their intensity levels in a clip that went viral all over social media.
His tenure with the club came to an official end in a massive sign-and-trade deal with the Vegas Golden Knights, with whom he is now playing in the Western Conference Final against the Colorado Avalanche. For Marner, it’s his first appearance beyond the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Former Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Mitch Marner Gets Honest About Advancing To Conference Final For First Time In NHL Career
When asked about advancing to the Conference Final for the first time in his career, Marner answered honestly.
“It obviously feels great,” said Marner. “We worked extremely hard for all these little goals that we set throughout the year, and another one (is) achieved. But obviously the work just keeps getting harder and harder.”
Marner scored his first two postseason goals as a member of the Golden Knights in their Game 6 victory over the Utah Mammoth in the Western Conference Quarterfinal, and followed that up with his first-career playoff hat trick in the subsequent round against the Anaheim Ducks.
Right now, Marner is the NHL’s leading playoff scorer with seven goals and 11 assists for 18 overall points; he’s also recorded a plus-11 rating in nearly 21 minutes of ice time so far in the playoffs.
During his time in Toronto in which the club only won two total playoff series, Marner had 63 points in 70 career playoff games. In his first regular season with the Golden Knights, Marner appeared in 81 games and scored 24 goals while adding 56 assists for 80 points.
John Tortorella Recently Called Out Mitch Marner’s Critics
Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella, who took over behind the Vegas bench upon the stunning firing of Bruce Cassidy in late March, took Marner’s critics to task with a fierce defense.
“You guys don’t see the stuff he does,” Tortorella told reporters during the series against the Ducks. “People here, people in Toronto, all the people that talk about this guy, they don’t see any of the things that he brings to a game even if he doesn’t score a goal. I’ve known that coaching against him.
“That narrative (that Marner struggles in the playoffs) is a bunch of (expletive). Like I said last night, Mitch doesn’t care. Mitch is a pro. He’s a terrific player, one of the top players in this league and he plays for us.”
Marner, Tortorella, and the Golden Knights will now take on the President’s Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche; their series begins on Wednesday evening from Denver.
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