Grading Mitch Marner's revenge game against the Toronto Maple Leafs

Friday was an absolute spectacle for Vegas Golden Knights fans. They witnessed Mitch Marner return to ScotiaBank Arena to face his old team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The lore goes deeper than merely playing for your old team, though. Marner is literally from Markham, Ontario, and grew up as a Maple Leafs fan.

That meant that feelings were reaching nuclear levels on the hatred scale. We're talking about fans booing him every time he touched the puck and holding up jerseys that read "sellout" (shoutout to Keegan Kolesar for ripping that out of the hands of an unruly fan). Well, at least, that's what everyone thought was going to happen.

Let's keep it real for a second. There were plenty of boos in ScotiaBank Arena on Friday. But the Vegas Golden Knights silenced the critics by doubling up the Toronto Maple Leafs, 6-3. In fact, the OG Maple Leafs fans were cheering when the organization showed the Marner tribute video. Just ask Rasmus Andersson.

Man, you gotta love people who appreciate your time, huh?

The key players who scored include Mark Stone (who has 10 goals and 11 assists in January), Jack Eichel, and Pavel Dorofeyev. Dorofeyev's goal is noteworthy because of this wild sequence where he pounced on his own rebound.

But that isn't the only thing significant about that play. Marner jumped on a bad giveaway and prevented the puck from exiting the offensive zone. If the puck did exit, that meant Vegas would've resorted to resetting the play to merely getting onside.

Plays like this were noteworthy for the Golden Knights winning. While the win was nice, let's focus on the former "Core Four" member himself. After all, this was his night. What stood out for the superstar winger and what didn't go well? Mostly, what grade should he get for Friday's performance?

What grade does Mitch Marner deserve for his performance against his old team, the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Marner didn't do much from a statistical standpoint. He mustered a single shot against his former club with a takeaway and that was it. Certainly, that will leave Maple Leafs fans to talk more trash and say that he misses the colder confines of Ontario.

However, that isn't the case. Remember that Dorofeyev goal that the Russian winger pounced on to give the Golden Knights a 3-1 lead? That played a role in giving the Golden Knights a key goal. Small plays like that matter in the grand scheme of things.

Let's be honest. Friday wasn't the best game for Marner stat-wise. He didn't do much on the ice, straying from shooting the puck and blocking shots. However, that doesn't mean that he was completely flaccid agains the Maple Leafs.

Jumping on bad giveaways by Toronto and keeping your opponents away from good spots was part of Marner's game on Friday. Sometimes, it's the stuff you do away from the puck that helps your team win key games. You know what that's called? Intangibles. They matter, too.

Having teammates pick up your six also helps here. The Golden Knights were motivated to win in Toronto and give Marner the ultimate parting gift. That meant players like Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, and Keegan Kolesar had to step up and score. That's the beauty of Marner's situation compared to his past games. He has teammates who actually support him on the ice and score.

It's almost like hockey is a team game, rather than one focused on particular individuals. Man, who would've thought that this could be a simple concept to grasp?