Marner has earned Team Canada coronation
Published
The Maple Leafs (optional) and Nashville Predators skated at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday.
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Mitch Marner is expected to be named to Team Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off roster, per TSN's Insider Trading. There's no doubt the Leafs winger has earned his place at the best-on-best competition.
"I think he's one of the smartest players in the league," said defenceman Roman Josi, who will try to slow down Marner on Wednesday night when the Nashville Predators visit Toronto. "When he has the puck, he sees things that other players don't see, and he always makes something out of nothing. You never quite know what he's going to do, so it's challenging."
Marner leads the Leafs with 33 points, which is tied for 10th overall. He's on pace for 113 points, which would smash his previous career high of 99. Marner, who is in the final year of his current contract, is off to a strong start even as questions about his long-term future with his hometown team swirl.
"Took some heat here at times and to me it's unfair," said Predators defenceman Luke Schenn, who played with Marner during the 2022-23 season. "He's been good since he got drafted here, so I don't know what's not to like about him. He's been a huge part of things here in Toronto and they're lucky to have him."
The Leafs have won one playoff series since Marner entered the league in the 2016-17 season. His production has dipped in the playoffs, but Marner still leads the Leafs in this era with 50 points in 57 postseason games.
"Because of the market that they're in, they get a lot of attention, some negative and a lot probably unwarranted," said Predators winger Steven Stamkos, who is from Markham, Ont. "That's the way it is in this market. But as players, if you poll the league, they know how good of a player he is and how important he is to that team."
That importance was highlighted when captain and top-line centre Auston Matthews missed nine games with an undisclosed upper-body injury last month. Toronto reeled off a 7-2-0 record without its captain. Marner led the way with seven goals and 15 points, and it wasn't just the scoring that stood out.
"We know how good a passer and playmaker is, but he's just as good in our own end," noted defenceman Chris Tanev, "and making plays to help out the D and having good sticks and in the right position to knock pucks down or break up rushes. He's a full 200-foot player and he's been incredible for us."
"He's kind of doing it all," added Schenn.
Marner is on Toronto's top penalty-kill unit and is consistently matched up against top lines. He's used in every situation and leads the Leafs in average ice time at 21 minutes and 34 seconds per game.
"If you look at him after a two-minute shift or whatever, he gets stuck out there, it doesn't seem to faze him," observed defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. "He probably had a good summer and good training, it seems like."
Marner is the only forward in the entire league to lead his team in ice time.
"He's got a great engine," said coach Craig Berube. "I don't see him get too gassed or losing too much energy very often."
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Defenceman Jake McCabe, who is second on the team in average ice time, will miss a second straight game.
"Just not feeling right," Berube said. "Not feeling good enough to play."
McCabe took a puck to the side of the head on Saturday night. The 31-year-old left the game in Tampa and was held out of Monday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks in what Berube described as a precautionary move.
McCabe practised in full on Tuesday and said afterwards he was feeling fine and ready to play.
"It's just how he feels," said Berube. "So, hopefully he's feeling better and better every day, and we'll see. Like, this guy, he's a warrior. He'll play if he can."
The Leafs have two more games on the schedule this week. Toronto will host the Washington Capitals on Friday before travelling to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins on Saturday night.
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The Leafs didn't love how they played without McCabe on Monday despite beating the lowly Blackhawks 4-1.
"We need to check better than we did last game," Tanev said.
"We didn't play the way we wanted the other night," Ekman-Larsson admitted. "Been trying to clean those things up, play a little bit faster, and defend a little bit [better], not turning pucks over at the line."
The Predators rank dead last in goals per game this season (2.32). How can they jumpstart the offence?
"I wish I knew," coach Andrew Brunette said. "I think we're pounding on the door. You know, we've had opportunities, especially of late. We've had points in eight of 11 and just can't get over that hump. We've had opportunities. Partly guys are squeezing it a little bit. We just need to have that one game where maybe we get rewarded a little more than we have and might take a little frustration out of the group."
Despite signing some big names in the summer, Nashville enters Wednesday's action eight points out of a playoff spot.
"They haven't started out how they wanted to, but we know they're a really good team," Tanev warned. "And very skilled. I think they're playing quite well of late."
Even if the offence isn't coming, Berube notices the Predators making improvements.
"I look at their team the last 10 games and they've really tightened things up, in my opinion, defensively," Berube said. "And they've been a lot better. I think they got five overtime losses in those games. Their record could be a lot better. They got good veterans over there. I'm not going to name them all. They got a real good goalie. So, it's a challenge. It's a desperate team right now, the way I look at it, the situation they're in. So, we need to be ready to go and match that desperation."
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Anthony Stolarz stopped 27 of 28 shots to earn the win on Monday while pushing his save percentage up to .924, which is third overall (minimum eight starts). On Wednesday, Joseph Woll will get the start. He's won five straight games while increasing his save percentage to .923, which is fourth overall.
Whoever is in net right now, the Leafs are getting top-notch goaltending.
"It helps our plus-minus," winger Nick Robertson said with a smile. "I mean, definitely times where we made a couple mistakes, and they saved us. They definitely saved us and won us games a lot."
"It's all about the team, right," Berube pointed out. "We try to do a good job defending in front of them, and they understand, the goalies, where things are going to come from, the shots and things like that, what we're going to give up."
The Leafs are second overall in goals against per game (2.54). Toronto finished 21st in that department last season (3.18).
"They're not giving up a whole lot in the inside of the ice and maybe a little bit different than in the past," Brunette observed. "They seem to be playing a little bit more to a certain identity. It's not just the top guys being the top guys. Obviously, they still are and they're very scary, but I just see a complete team in the building here."
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Stamkos is among the veterans added to the Nashville locker room during the summer signing spree. The former Tampa Bay Lightning captain is still finding his way with his new team.
"When you're in one place for so long and your hockey sense is kind of trained into one way, and things are a little different here, whether it’s systematically or personnel, you have to find a way to adjust to that and you wish that it could happen overnight," the 34-year-old said.
"That's probably not realistic. It's taken some time. Expectations were raised for our group this summer and we've fallen short of that and that's been the disappointing part but, at this point of the season, we're starting to find that stride."
Stamkos has produced seven goals and six assists through 25 games.
"He's a pro," said Brunette. "It hasn't affected his leadership abilities. His work ethic has been off the charts. Hasn't gone in for him, we're trying to find solutions for him. But, no, he hasn't changed one bit regardless of whether he scores or doesn't score."
Stamkos is staying the course, but also understands that something needs to change soon.
"We're getting to the point of the season where we have to find a way to rattle off some wins here," he said. "We've played some really tight games against some really good teams lately and you try and find some of the positives. Sometimes frustration can creep in. I think this group has done a pretty good job of not letting that happen and trusting the process a little bit."
"We all look up to him," said Josi. "He's great in the room. He's a great leader. He's a ton of help to me as captain."
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Projected Leafs lineup for Wednesday's game:
Knies - Matthews - Nylander
Holmberg - Tavares - Marner
Robertson - Minten - Lorentz
Grebenkin - Dewar - Reaves
Ekman-Larsson - Tanev
Rielly - Myers
Benoit - Timmins
Woll starts
Stolarz