Marner shines for Maple Leafs
On a night when Patrick Marleau celebrated his 1,600th NHL game, Mitch Marner did what he does best — make goals.
The 21-year-old winger had three assists in Toronto’s 4-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday. Two were primary assists, upping his NHL-best total to 24 (he has 27 assists in all). It was the 10th multiassist game of the season for Marner, who also has six goals.
“He has great vision out there,” said the 39-year-old Marleau. “The way he skates and handles the puck, he can manoeuvre around guys and draw guys to him. He did that quite a bit tonight.”
“He’s found a nice groove here,” he added. “He’s only going to keep getting better I think. And that’s pretty scary.”
Asked about Marner, Leafs coach Mike Babcock said all great players manage to play at their own pace.
“What’s amazing is most of us have no time and space whatsoever. Or we’re just banging it here, banging it there and chasing it. And then the really good guys seem to have all the time in the world ... They’re gliding all over the rink and it seems effortless.”
Travis Dermott, who scored the first goal of the game off a Marner assist, marvelled at his teammate.
“With the puck, without the puck, he’s definitely a slippery guy,” said Dermott. “And if you get open, he’s going to find you and get the puck to you right on the tape and pretty flat. He’s a guy you want to be out there with.”
Each team scored twice in a frenetic second period that saw Boston outshoot Toronto 18-9. With the Leafs leading 3-2 going into the third, Boston’s Danton Heinen hit the goalpost but the Bruins could not breach the Leaf defence.
Zach Hyman added an empty-net goal with 1:35 remaining to seal Toronto’s fifth straight home win. Frederik Andersen made 38 saves in collecting his 13th win of the season.
Igor Ozhiganov and Josh Leivo also scored for Toronto (17-8-0). Ozhiganov celebrated his first career NHL goal and Dermott his second.
David Pastrnak, who had a hat trick in a 5-1 win over Toronto on Nov. 10, scored twice for Boston (13-7-4).
The Bruins lost Kevan Miller late in the first period after the defenceman took a puck to the throat area off a John Tavares shot. The close-range shot seemed to hit Miller’s stick and ride up to the neck area.
Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said Miller went to hospital and was to remain overnight for observation.
“Right now he’s out of any danger, from what we’ve heard,” Cassidy said.
“Looks like X-rays are negative, (he) got it in the throat,” he added. “They’re going to keep him overnight for observation, make sure his breathing stays normal.”
Capitals 4, Islanders 1
NEW YORK - Tom Wilson scored twice, Braden Holtby stopped 32 shots and the Washington Capitals beat the New York Islanders and former coach Barry Trotz for their season-high sixth straight win.
Nic Dowd and Alex Ovechkin also scored for Washington, which won after giving up the first goal for the fifth time during its win streak that has catapulted the defending champions to first place in the Metropolitan Division.
Rangers 4, Senators 2
NEW YORK - Marc Staal, Lias Andersson, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad scored, and Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves as the New York Rangers defeated the Ottawa Senators.
The Rangers extended their dominance at Madison Square Garden, improving to 8-1-0 at home in their last nine games.