Losing your best player is bad – we all agree on this, of course. But the Toronto Maple Leafs have been on a tear since superstar captain Auston Matthews went down with an upper-body injury, racking up seven wins in eight games during his Germany-related absence.
It’s a perfect example of the sports-pop culture ‘Ewing Theory’ popularized by Bill Simmons two decades ago, and while Matthews will return to the lineup soon, it’s worth giving a shout-out to Mitch Marner for his play during the stretch.
Marner, who leads the Leafs in scoring, has posted up two-point efforts in his past four straight games. His heroics against Utah in a Sunday win included a sizzling breakaway goal, and his (healthy) teammates aren’t surprised at what he has wrought on opponents.
“It’s just kinda standard, the level he brings year in and year out and what he means to our team,” said center John Tavares. “He’s an elite player who makes plays, does so many things without the puck, plays in all situations and brings a unique element to our room. We’re really lucky to have him.”
For Marner himself, his recent hot stretch is just part of the job.
“People need to step up, and a lot of guys have done that in this locker room,” he said. “We just have to continue to do it.”
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That Utah victory may have been one of the more impressive victories for Toronto so far. Due to injuries, the Leafs went to war with erstwhile AHLers Fraser Minten, Nikita Grebenkin, Alex Steeves and Alex Nylander. And even though the lineup had a strong injection of Toronto Marlies, Toronto still won out – and carried the play for much of the game.
“We have a lot of great players on our team and on the Marlies,” Marner said. “A lot of those guys down there can definitely play on a full-time NHL roster, and we have a lot of confidence in their lineup.”
Matthews is expected to return to the lineup any day now, and undoubtedly, the Maple Leafs will be even stronger once he’s back up to full speed. But there was no panic in the Toronto room while he was recuperating, and that’s a really positive sign if you’re a Leafs fan.
“We just believe in the group, the identity we’re trying to build, the type of game we’re trying to play and the depth we have,” Tavares said. “Don’t get me wrong, we want him back as soon as possible, but good job by everyone continuing to go to work.”
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