Despite the fact the Toronto Maple Leafs came into the playoffs as the Atlantic Division champions, there were questions (ohh the questions) about how their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators would kick off.
The Senators are a scrappy bunch who had tons of success against the Leafs in the regular season, and of course, there is the narrative that Toronto’s stars don’t play up to expectations in the post-season.
One of the players often mentioned is Mitch Marner, but if Game 1’s 6-2 victory was any indication, Marner is gonna be just fine.
Each member of the “Core Four” – Marner, Auston Matthews, John Tavares and William Nylander – got on the scoresheet in Game 1. One of the most emphatic moments in Toronto’s offensive onslaught was Marner’s first-period breakaway goal.
It was a big-moment tally that, while not as important as the talented right winger’s OT-winner for Canada over Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off, at least brought back the memory of Marner’s performance at that international tournament.
Marner does believe it helped playing in that previous pressure-packed showdown this season.
“Maybe with calmness and confidence,” he said. “That tournament was pretty quick, obviously very, very intense, and that’s what the playoffs are. It happens quickly, games go by fast, and you look forward to the next one and realize it will be even harder.”
But the goal wasn’t the only good thing Marner did in Game 1.
For a player who had been criticized in some circles for not being a playoff performer, Marner showed off a variety of positive traits against Ottawa, from outmuscling defenseman Jake Sanderson to a puck in the first period to nearly getting a breakaway on the penalty kill in the second. As it was, Marner did enough on that breakout to get the puck to Matthews, wasting valuable Senators power-play time in the process.
Overall, Marner played Game 1 with the poise, patience and skill you would expect from a 102-point player who will also likely get a number of Selke votes this year. With three points in Game 1, the Leafs superstar is nearing point-per-game status in his NHL playoff career. In total, the “Core Four” totalled nine points on the night, though it wasn’t top of mind for the players themselves.
“I don’t think we think about it that way – we think about wins,” Marner said. “To start off with a win is great. Now, we have to look forward to the next one, and that will be even harder to win. But we’ll try to figure out how to be even better on Tuesday.”
It’s a great team sentiment, but the fact Toronto’s top guns have been unleashed early is great news for the Leafs.
“Yeah, they were dialled in,” said goalie Anthony Stolarz. “I liked how all four of our lines played.”
It’s also a troubling harbinger for the Senators. Few teams could slow down Marner this season, and in Game 1 of the playoffs, that trend certainly continued.
The 4 Nations was a fascinating NHL experiment that went very right, but the ramifications on the players who took part won’t truly be known until the Stanley Cup is awarded again this summer. When Canada won gold over Team USA, it was Marner setting up Connor McDavid for the winner. Could Marner earn similar glory with a different color of maple leaf on his chest in June?
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