The NHL had its media day before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes sat down and answered everything. That ranged from Rod Brind'Amour talking about Mitch Marner to the past summer.
Speaking of Marner, the Canadian Olympian gave his candid thoughts on what winning the Stanley Cup meant to him. Of course, it should surprise people that he wants to win it all. But he gives deeper details on what the championship means to him.
"I remember sitting on the couch with my dad and my brother and just watching teams win the Stanley Cup in the early 2000s and seeing them hoist it. Just seeing some of the legends do it, it was something you dreamed of and something you always wanted to do."Mitch Marner
Of course, there are also numerous narratives to go with this. That includes Marner's redemption arc and how he's fitting in far better in Vegas than in Toronto and "dark times" during his hockey career with his former team. Just ask Kelly McCrimmon how that's working out for his new superstar. Here's a hint: one team's deeper and better than the other.
Still, there's extra motivation for the Golden Knights superstar to have another incredible showing this round. It doesn't just involve establishing the Golden Knights as the "Evil Empire." It also involves his past and what he couldn't do with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Mitch Marner has every bit of motivation to win a Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights, starting with his past tenure with his childhood team
Unfortunately for Marner, he wasn't able to do it with his childhood team, the Maple Leafs. It was a combination of disappearing acts, expectations not being met, and blown leads that did Toronto in. However, the former "Core Four" member's new lease on life provides him with the ultimate opportunity to start a brand new dialogue.
That means going past a red-hot goaltender in Frederik Andersen. He has a GAA of 1.41 and a save percentage of .931 entering Game 1, adding three shutouts along the way. That will be a tall task for any Golden Knight, specifically the NHL's resident points leader during the Stanley Cup playoffs (Marner has 21).
Still, the Stanley Cup presents a "golden" opportunity to change the narrative with a strong series. One can point to the hat trick he got in Game 3 against the Anaheim Ducks as a shining example. You go into a hostile road environment and put the team on your back, adding an assist along the way.
The Golden Knights should expect such a performance from Marner during the Stanley Cup Final, duplicating his Game 3 success in the second round. He's shown that he's capable of carrying the workload and going above and beyond the call. If the Golden Knights can get this type of motivation from their best star, that will go a long way in shifting prior narratives.
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