Marner adds some Jumbo to his game
Thornton’s personality, playmaking abilities should have positive effects on forward
Mitch Marner, in a moment of wonder, discloses that Joe Thornton isn’t even on social media.
“I don’t think he knows anything, really, about social media.”
Which, frankly, is yet one more reason to reach up on tippytoes and plant a wet one on Jumbo Joe’s bearded — as in Old Testament prophetbearded — cheek, the throwback and unplugged troglodyte that he is. Although we know, from a video surfacing last week, that Thornton can carpool karaoke boogie, to the strains of “… Baby One More Time.”
On Monday, with AC/ DC blasting over the sound system — apparently we’re back in the ’ 70s — it was less Britney Spears pop and more snowballat- the- prom- meets- anthemrock in the Maple Leafs lyceum, what with the sudden rejigging of forward lines and defensive tandems. One day removed from training camp, a straightaway segue to practice — I can’t tell the difference, can you tell the difference? — and Sheldon Keefe was already spinning some different tunes in advance of Wednesday’s season opener.
While hardly an oldie but a goldie — they’ve only been together a week — what remained intact was the top line troika of Marner, Thornton and Auston Matthews. On the first power play unit, with Wayne Simmonds net- front, Thornton high slot and Morgan Rielly quarterbacking from the point.
Perhaps this is what Marner and Thornton were discussing during a scrimmage break at the Ford Performance Centre, the former having to look way up at the latter — his six- foot ( as if) and 175 pounds of forward versus Thornton’s sixfootthree and 202 pounds of forward. A Smurf and a behemoth, comparatively.
The no- tweet thing is a source of amusement, or befuddlement, for Marner and Matthews, both members of the digital Gen Z cohort. At least we thinkMatthews was the person referenced by Marner as “Tony.” The provenance of the nickname is unclear. Tony Manero from “Saturday Night Fever”? Tony Montana from “Scarface”? Tony Soprano?
Marner has been exuberant about playing alongside Thornton. And exuberance restored from the 23- year- old — yes, still just 23 — is a lovely thing to see again because his signature sunny nature took a crushing last year.
By most measures, it was an admirable season stats- wise, with 16 goals and 51 assists across 59 games; he’d likely have posted a third 20- goal season had it run its traditional course, unabbreviated by a pandemic pause. But it began awkwardly, with a drawn- out contract negotiation that also soured the fan base, and was then disrupted by a high ankle injury that sidelined Marner for 11 games. The symbiotic oomph he’d formerly demonstrated with Zach Hyman shrivelled, in part because Hyman too struggled in the aftermath of torn ACL surgery. Marner was not particularly prolific — but then who was? — in the qualifying round versus Columbus either.
Noticeably, there was a shadow that fell across Marner’s effusive persona and an uncharacteristic pallor to his game.
So, when Marner talks now about the “personality” that Thornton brings to the team — as outsized as his dimensions — he might just as easily be speaking about his own rediscovered nature. “Not going to focus on outside noise, just focus on what we can do every day. Obviously we know there will be bad days, but come in here with the same energy we always have.”
Thornton has, in fact, had plenty of bad days across his 15- year NHL career, reached nadir depths Marner can hardly imagine, from the trade away from Boston — midway through an Art Ross season — that shocked the bejeezus out of him, to being stripped of his captaincy in San Jose. Marner doesn’t know that kind of pain.
What Thornton has never lost is his hockey joy. Sometimes younger players needed to be reminded of that existential thrill.
“I think he’s already having that effect,” coach Sheldon Keefe said of Thornton’s immediate effect on the Leafs’ ethos. “Not just on Mitch and his linemates but our entire team. He keeps the focus where it needs to be, which is in the gym, in our meetings, on the practice ice, in games. That’s what Joe is all about. Keeping it loose and having fun. But when you tie your skates and put your gear on and get on the ice, it’s all about business. At the same time, Joe has the great ability that I’ve seen, even in the early going, just to know when it’s time to dig in and get the work done.”
The business of Marner, with an arm- around from Thornton — and of course the perennial advantageousness of Matthews as pivot — is making fuller use of his myriad skills as an offensive dynamo. Thornton may bring the grunt on their line but he’s also an exceptional passer and a resolute presence, even if he might be spelled for shifts to keep his 41- year- old minutes reasonable.
Marner, a water bug, uses speed, deftness and explosiveness in the offensive zone to create scoring chances. He’s been advised to exploit more of those scoring chances for himself. Shoot more, challenge the net more. Because there’s no rationale for being 196th among NHL forwards last season in 5- on- 5 shots on goal per 60 minutes. Less doodle, more dipsy with a quick release strike. Look for the backdoor play because Thornton can skate the puck into position, find the open man. Mmarner@ JThornton, like. “Playing with Joe is going to put more pucks on his stick in positions to shoot,” predicts Keefe. “I think that will help. Also, he’ll be thinking about the fact that Joe is a passer and they’ll need to have another shooter on the line. He has to be of the mindset that he doesn’t have to always look for Auston. He’s a good player that can score himself.
“He can attack the net, put the defence and goalies in bad spots. We want him to have that mentality, whether it’s producing more shots or getting to the net more to see more goals. And simply drawing more penalties in the way that he skates, the way that he attacks. Make the defence nervous.”
Marner knows it, is committed to it.
“Just trying to get more of a mindset of being a shooter. I know I have it in me, shown it a lot of times.
“I know it’s inside.”