Marner knows score line by line
Club’s top point-getter produces with every mix minus Matthews
At this point of the season, Mitch Marner of the Maple Leafs has played on every line. Not just one-offs. He’s had long stretches as a first-liner, secondliner, third-liner and, infamously, as a fourth-liner.
And with the continued absence of Auston Matthews, Marner worked out Monday with the injured centre’s regular linemates. Marner was at right wing with Zach Hyman on the left and William Nylander at centre, the same spot he played Saturday against the Penguins — when he picked up a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win at the Air Canada Centre.
“Mitch is an elite passer, elite vision, makes plays,” said Hyman. “It’s fun playing with both guys. Auston does his thing — one of the best goal scorers in the league, great both ways, a great scorer. Mitch creates so many chances.”
In Buffalo a week ago, Marner played with Nazem Kadri and Patrick Marleau. Lately, he’s thrived no matter what line he’s been on.
“I try to adjust to them, I’d say,” said Marner. “Try to make the plays off knowing who I’m with.
“I adjust to who my linemates are. The thing about our team is that all our lines are very similar. We have a guy that can always get the puck back, that’s always around the net. There’s a guy that makes plays (and) a guy that works down low and does all the work.”
Marner still gets out with Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk — the two he launched his career with last year and stuck with for most of this season — on the power play.
“He’s one of those wingers that’s able to drive a line,” coach Mike Babcock said of Marner. “We try to put him in a spot to generate offence. Home and away (with last line changes) is a little bit different. We adjust accordingly.”
The 20-year-old Marner leads the Leafs in scoring with 19 goals and 37 assists for 56 points. He has goals in back-toback games and five of his last seven. He’s risen to the occasion with Matthews continuing to nurse a sore shoulder — although he practised in full Monday and could be back by the end of the week.
“We’re like a brotherhood.” said Marner. “We try to protect each other. When one of us goes down, we try to step up.”
Marner’s next goal will establish a career high. He’s developed a bit more of a shoot-first mentality, despite elite pass- making skills.
“Just hanging on the puck a bit more, and the puck is going in right now,” said Marner. “When that starts happening, you gain more confidence.”
Of course, some of it can be credited to puck luck — shots going off legs and in — something his teammates are quick to remind him about.
“I’ve noticed a lot of pucks going off people and in,” said defenceman Morgan Rielly. “I don’t know whether that’s on purpose, but he’s playing great. Mitch has been outstanding. You can tell he’s playing with a lot of speed, great on the power play. He’s just trying to do his thing.”
Marner probably doesn’t get enough credit for the defensive side of his game, a strength lately. Early in the season, when he struggled and played on the fourth line, it was his backchecking that was in question. But he’s seventh in the league in takeaways with 66 and knows that getting the puck back on defence is what leads to offence.
“You work back to get the puck and you get good chances off that,” said Marner. “Teams are changing, or you catch teams flat-footed, you get a good number of chances off that.”
Babcock said the difference in Marner’s game since the start of the season is work ethic: “He started slow, but . . . h e got back to work.”