Marner’s return creates nice problem
Bertuzzi, Domi look solid on top line, so where does he fit?
To say the Maple Leafs have missed Mitch Marner would be a bit of an understatement.
But, perhaps more than the offence he creates and a power play that has been shooting blanks without him, there’s been a gaping hole in the dressing room while he was out of the lineup with an injury.
“I’ve always said he’s kind of like our Energizer bunny,” Leafs captain John Tavares said of Marner. “He’s always got juice. And, whether it’s on the ice and how he plays in all situations or his personality off the ice, and how he impacts the group in the locker room when we’re around each other, it’s obviously big to have him back.”
Marner, who has missed 12 games because of injury, is expected to return to the lineup Saturday night against the Canadiens at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
“I’m excited, obviously,” said Marner. “I just want to get back into the rhythm of things and try to contribute to help the team win games.”
Reports that he suffered a highankle sprain injury were never confirmed, and he hasn’t wanted to talk about it. But it cost him almost a month, and maybe his spot alongside star centre Auston Matthews. When the Leafs practised Friday, Matthews remained with Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, while Marner moved to Tavares’s wing with Bobby McMann.
“I don’t think it really matters who you’re playing with in this group,” said Marner. “A lot of guys on all sorts of lines have a lot of versatility, skill and can make plays. Obviously Auston’s line has been unbelievable for us over this past couple of weeks, so it’s been great to see that.”
Matthews had nine goals — on his march toward 70 — and 10 assists in 12 games without Marner. Bertuzzi had seven goals and two assists, while Domi picked up a goal and nine assists.
But Tavares has been no slouch in that span with five goals and nine assists. William Nylander (six goals and five assists in the past 12 games) was bumped to the third line Friday with Pontus Holmberg and Matthew Knies.
“We like how the line has gone with Domi, Bertuzzi and Matthews,” said coach Sheldon Keefe. “Mitch has played a lot with John and that has gone well. And Willy, well, having those guys on different lines presents some really good options, spreads out our scoring depth really well. We’ll give it a look.”
Keefe has spread those four over three lines before, most recently with Tavares bumped to the third unit while Domi centred the second line with Nylander.
With just seven games before the post-season, Keefe is still tinkering.
Marner will rejoin a power-play unit that also got Morgan Rielly back recently from injury and will have all of its main components for the first time since Marner got hurt. The Leafs have scored just four times with the man advantage on 37 chances since Marner last suited up (10.3 per cent, third-worst in the NHL).
“Obviously we have a lot of skilled players out there,” Marner said, “but I think sometimes you’ve just got to keep it simple and get pucks toward the net, get pucks laying around that crease, or even just take shots from all sorts of angles with guys around the net.
“Obviously Johnny (Tavares) and (Bertuzzi) can both tip pucks very well and can do a lot of great things when pucks come towards them. For me, it’s just making sure, when I get in there, I’m not trying to complicate things. Just be useful, helpful in holes and try to find ways to get the puck in my hands and contribute.”