Toronto is firmly the capital of the hockey world, but for two weeks, it’s also the epicentre of the pop culture milieu. A generational talent arrived at Scotiabank Arena for a marquee edition of Hockey Night in Canada and just up the road, Taylor Swift in firmly in the middle of her six Eras Tour dates in Toronto, with scores of gliterrati waiting over a year for this moment.
And hey, maybe we’re the problem, it’s us, but Mitch Marner, John Tavares and Bobby McMann stole the show, at least for one evening, outmatching Connor McDavid as the lights shone brighter throughout the contest, as Marner’s 200th goal brought the house down in a 4-3 Maple Leafs’ overtime victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Marner broke up a 2-on-1, picking off Leon Draisaitl’s attempted pass to McDavid, then raced away, using Tavares as an effective shield before firing home the game-winner.
Marner’s line was primarily matched up against McDavid, and though the underlying numbers point in Edmonton’s favour, Toronto’s top line constantly rose to the occasion in the clutch. Evan Bouchard banked a pass off McDavid’s skate, which directly landed in Matthew Knies’ path for the game-tying goal, then McMann raced past Bouchard and looked like the fastest man on the planet, giving the Maple Leafs a 3-2 lead. It was a party on Bay Street during a year where there’s been much derision towards the corporate suits that occupy the lower bowl, but Leon Draisaitl almost spoiled the festivities with 89 seconds remain.
Subject to consternation, outrage, both manufactured and genuine to appease a 24-hour news cycle, Marner entered the year with all eyes on his every move. During Auston Matthews’ six-game injury related absence, Marner responded with four goals and 10 points, while being tasked with shutting down some of the NHL’s marquee forwards, and McDavid is as tough as assignments get. For his efforts, Marner was awarded the team belt, but this truly was one of his great individual performances, against a player that has been billed as a rival dating back to the minor hockey circuit, where McDavid played a year up, while Marner dominated his own 1997-born age cohort.
“He was excellent,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said post-game about Marner. “So much good in all facets of the game, penalty kill, power play, 5-on-5. He did a great job of breaking up that 2-on-1 on that play and going the other way and scoring.”
Marner, McMann and Tavares took the McDavid assignment extremely seriously, and felt it was imperative to drive the five-man connectivity required to shut down the NHL’s most dangerous all-around forward. McDavid did score off a ricochet on the power play, as the puck hit two skates, before falling directly onto his stick, but in the clutch, Marner and company were superior, and it was the difference.
“Obviously, it’s probably the hardest challenge in the entire NHL right now,” Marner said of the challenge defending McDavid. “Just try to stay above him, you just know you have to stay patient on him because a few feet, it could end up in the back of the net. It’s not just one guy, it’s five guys and as a five-man unit, we did a pretty good job of doing that.”
“It’s unreal. He’s so good at reading the play, all the time. Anticipating, knowing where the puck is going,” McMann said of Marner.
There are commonalities between Tavares and McDavid, particularly at the start of their careers: both players were prodigies for the Toronto Marlboros in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, earning exceptional status into the Ontario Hockey League, they were the No. 1 picks in their respective OHL and NHL Drafts, and while McDavid has been a cut above, both players are pacing towards Hall of Fame induction when they eventually hang up their skates. Tavares’ power game and hockey intelligence was on full display, he bodied opponents on the cycle. Marner and Tavares finished with 65 and 64 percent shares of the expected goals at 5-on-5 via Natural Stat Trick, leading the Maple Leafs, but you don’t need the underlying numbers on a night where their impact was obvious to the untrained eye.
“I think they did a phenomenal job,” Knies said of the McMann-Tavares-Marner line post-game. “It’s a big task, obviously. He’s an incredible player, McDavid, and same with Draisaitl. Kind of keep those guys with limited chances, it’s a good showing for them. We’ve been really happy with that line, they’re been really driving the play and when those guys are going, it’s really contagious for the rest of us.”
McMann had a monstrous night, with two goals on the top line, his third goal in two games, and he’s benefiting from playing with two elite players. McDavid is widely considered the NHL’s fastest skater, with some consideration given to Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, but McMann looked a cut above and his pace, opportunism and size is always intriguing, even during off nights. When he’s on, he’s an electrifying talent for the Maple Leafs that will certainly need greater depth scoring as the season marches onward.
At tea time, everybody agrees. McDavid may be the NHL’s best player, with due apologies to the injured Auston Matthews, but Marner, Tavares and McMann were the heroes on Saturday night in Toronto, worthy of fireworks, glitz and glamour that would otherwise seem unbefitting of their calm, casual demeanor.
