Marner preparing to give second NHL season his best shot
TERRY KOSHAN
Observers with an eye on Mitch Marner during practice on Friday were sure there was a little more mustard on the 20-year-old’s shot as he fired puck after puck at an open net.
Marner confirmed as much afterward.
“I want to put myself in more situations where I can shoot more, and the shot has to be better if you’re going to (do that),” Marner said. “Over the summer I tried to get stronger in my wrists, working on quick releases.
“I have to change my mind — (and take on a greater) shoot-more attitude. I’ve been told that quite a bit.”
Marner registered 176 shots on goal in 77 games in his rookie season last year, fifth among Maple Leafs after Auston Matthews, James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri and William Nylander. Marner scored 19 goals, giving him a 10.8 per cent shooting percentage, which was 10th among Leafs.
The ability to not only find the proper positioning to shoot more often, coupled with simply possessing a harder shot, is crucial for Marner.
It’s something coach Mike Babcock can’t stress enough.
“He has to have a big-time shot,” Babcock said. “He just has to if he wants to take a step in the right direction.
“Mitch worked really hard in the summer, he is skating really good. Mitch is a committed guy, wants to do well, and we are fortunate with that. His shot has to become a weapon.”
GREAT ATTITUDE, EITHER WAY
Sabres star Jack Eichel’s thoughts on Matthews gained some attention on Friday, this after he told Postmedia’s Mike Zeisberger that Matthews has “a bit of that ‘F----you’ mentality in him, and that’s a good thing.”
Babcock wasn’t sure he would have used the same words regarding Matthews.
“I don’t have a clue what was said but Matty is a great kid, he has confidence and believes in himself,” Babcock said. “I don’t know if (that’s) the way I would describe it, but I would (say) that he is pretty sure of his own ability, he is committed to his work ethic and he is a good person. He is going to try to do it right every day and he is in the pursuit to get better. We are lucky to have him.”
Said Marner: “You have to have confidence in yourself and you have to have confidence in the plays you make and he definitely has that in him. But it’s not cocky confidence at all. He is very humble.”
We agree with Marner. Figure that Matthews’ even-keel ways are among the attributes that will make him a fine Leafs captain one day.
GATE OPEN FOR AALTONEN
Centre Miro Aaltonen could work his way into fourth-line duty with the Leafs.
Babcock is taking a wait-and-see attitude with Aaltonen, signed by the club last March.
“We’re just learning, to tell you the truth,” Babcock said. “He was an offensive player in the KHL last year and we’re asking him to be a defensive player. (Be) good on faceoffs, penalty killing, that kind of thing.
“So it’s probably a big change for him, just the nuances of how we do things. He has to get up to speed or you tend to look bad.
“But he does have skill and he does have determination and it looks like he is a player that is in the mix.”
If Aaltonen impresses — he was not great on Monday in Ottawa, and was looking for a better performance on Friday versus Buffalo — it could work against veteran Dominic Moore, signed to a oneyear, US $1-million contract in July. Moore is expected to be in the lineup when the Leafs play in Buffalo on Saturday.
The 24-year-old Aaltonen had 44 points in 59 games for Podolsk Vityaz last season.