When the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring by the Florida Panthers, it ended Mitch Marner's tenure with the franchise. He was eventually traded to the Vegas Golden Knights and signed an extension to play for a long time there.
However, he was going to need to kick the unfair narrative that he doesn't come up clutch in clutch moments. If we're being honest, he wasn't the only one in Toronto who failed to come up big in the postseason. He was far from alone.
Playing for Canada in the Olympics, Marner came up with a clutch goal and a beautiful one at that on Wednesday in the quarterfinals against Czechia. Just 1:22 into sudden-death overtime, Marner came through center ice with speed, split the Czechia defense, and beat Lukáš Dostál with a backhander for the game-winner to send Canada to the semifinals. Clutch goal at a clutch time.
Mitch Marner's Team Canada and Vegas teammate throws shade at Toronto
Make no mistake about it, Marner has come up clutch at times in his career. Just because he didn't in Toronto in the playoffs doesn't mean he never has. He did in the 4 Nations last year and then on Wednesday in the Olympics. His teammate with the Golden Knights, Mark Stone, has seen it before and even threw a little shade at the Maple Leafs and their fans following the overtime victory.
"As a teammate, I haven't experienced that, said Stone. "4 Nations, he gets a huge overtime goal for us, makes an incredible play for the winner. Then tonight, when we need him the most, he makes the play. So... I think it's a Toronto thing."
Look, Marner was basically run out of Toronto by the fans. It's a fan base that has been begging for a Stanley Cup championship. They thought they had it with their core. They didn't and moved on from Marner. Sure, he's going to have to come up big for Vegas when it matters the most in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as he did for Canada, but if he does, then maybe Stone is on to something.