Yes, I know that I shouldn't be rubbing it in the faces of Toronto Maple Leafs fans. But when a majority of your fanbase constantly bashes Mitch Marner after he leaves town for the Vegas Golden Knights, you deserve it. That's especially true since the former "Core Four" member pulled off a career-first: making a conference final. Mind you, Bruce Cassidy wasn't behind the bench.
The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6, 5-1, landing the finishing blow on their divisional rivals. In turn, the Golden Knights will make their fifth semifinal in franchise history, facing off against the Colorado Avalanche.
Now, I know what these Maple Leafs fans are gonna say about the Utah Mammoth and the Anaheim Ducks. You know that the cope is coming from the other side and it's going to be loud from Ontario.
"DUUH, THOSE TEAMS AREN'T PLAYOFF TEAMS, DUH."
Well, here's a little reality check for you: they are. Both squads have solid players like Clayton Keller, Leo Carlsson, and Jackson LaCombe. Those players will lead a hockey renaissance out west, making them future Stanley Cup contenders. Don't forget that three-time Stanley Cup winner Joel Quenneville was behind the bench for the Ducks.
Mitch Marner silences his critics and proves that it wasn't his fault in Toronto
Make all the excuses you want. But you can't deny that Marner has suddenly woken up. He leads the NHL in postseason points entering Friday with 18. Again, those chirps are going to come loud and clear from Toronto, saying that he played against cupcake teams.
But does that matter? What matters here is that Marner did something in his first Vegas residency that he never achieved in Toronto: make the semifinal round. Finally, one monkey is off his back and he's looking to get another off.
It also proves the stark contrasts between the Golden Knights and the Maple Leafs. Let's use NFL teams as a perfect example since the schedule was released yesterday. The Maple Leafs are like... the Dallas Cowboys. Sure, they have a ton of history. But they have a delusional group and they can never make the conference championship round in the modern era.
Meanwhile, you have the Vegas Golden Knights, who are... the Kansas City Chiefs. Think of Kelly McCrimmon as Brett Veach and Jack Eichel as a better version of Patrick Mahomes. The team always wins and it frustrates the heck out of everyone. That's no different with the Golden Knights, who are making the semifinal round yet again.
Boy, is it a great time to be Mitch Marner right now. You're silencing your haters by leading the NHL in postseason points and even threw in a sick goal. It's like watching a bitter ex write useless curses on you while praying for your downfall. Oh well, haters gonna hate.
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