Admit it. You're stoked to see Mitch Marner take on the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight. With all the talk of the forward heading from Ontario to the Vegas Golden Knights over the summer, the spotlight will be solely on him for Thursday's game.
So, does that mean that Marner is thinking about his first game against his former club? Well, it doesn't seem to be that way. Sportsnet's Luke Fox was given one sentence from the Olympian to describe Thursday's monumental game.
"I hadn't really thought about it till this moment."Mitch Marner
But that doesn't mean that Marner hasn't forgotten about his old buddies. In fact, it's quite the opposite. He still keeps in touch with old teammates and coaches, especially his "Core Four" buddies.
"I checked in with them, just seeing how they’re doing, how their families are doing, talk to them over Christmas and holidays. Got really close to lot of them there, and (they’re) like brothers, but there hasn’t been too much talk about hockey, really."Mitch Marner
With all the rumors about Marner being isolated in Las Vegas, it's revealing that the forward isn't thinking too much about Thursday's matchup. He's focused on what's in front of him instead of looking behind. That's a good sign for a team that's won five straight heading into Thursday's game against the Maple Leafs.
Of course, it could be the usual athlete jargon coming from the former "Core Four" member. After all, the Markham native grew up a Maple Leafs fan and was hoping to play for his boyhood team. Still, Marner's got a Stanley Cup to win, as do the Golden Knights.
Mitch Marner is focusing on what's happening with the Vegas Golden Knights instead of the Toronto Maple Leafs
There's nothing wrong with focusing on what's in front of you. You want to be at your best and not get sidetracked by silly distractions. That's why Marner has 11 goals and 36 goals entering Thursday's game.
But it's also important because both the Golden Knights and the Maple Leafs. Vegas is entering Thursday's matchup on a five-game winning streak, while Toronto is 7-1-2 in its last 10 games. Both teams are trying to secure solid positioning for the Stanley Cup playoffs, meaning you want as many points as you can get.
Marner's comments illustrate this, marking a different tone from the "hey, it's my old buddies from when I played in Toronto" answer. Focusing on what's in front of you is better than dwelling in the past (there's some wisdom in there, you know). That's why teams like the Florida Panthers, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Vegas Golden Knights have been wildly successful in recent years.
With that, it also illustrates the team's overall mentality. Do you think Bruce Cassidy is thinking about the dismal December that the team went through? Absolutely not. Instead, he's focusing on what Marner is paying attention to: winning games in the now. You can say that there's a massive philosophical difference between the Golden Knights and the Maple Leafs here, too. After all, who has a Stanley Cup in the past five years?
Get your popcorn, folks. Thursday's going to be absolute cinema.