Mitch Marner has been a lightning rod for many NHL teams this season. The Vegas Golden Knights superstar has drawn the collective ire from fans everywhere, whether it's the Toronto Maple Leafs or the San Jose Sharks. Still, he's producing at a high clip with seven goals and 29 assists. That's practically over a point per game with Marner playing 34 games entering Tuesday.
Tuesday brings a different challenge for Marner. It comes in the form of some Baby Sharks that are suddenly fighting for a playoff spot. Cue the song.
Yep, Golden Knights fans. It's Sharks night and all the bellhops in Pleasanton are looking for revenge. However, that doesn't mean that Marner can't have a big game. In fact, it means the opposite when you look at his career statistics.
Golden Knights fans will be encouraged by what they see on Tuesday, looking at the winger's outstanding stats. How well has Marner done in his career against the San Jose Sharks? Well, the stats shouldn't surprise you, considering how great he is as an NHL player.
Mitch Marner has eight goals, 17 assists and a +/- of +9 in 18 games against the San Jose Sharks
Now, Mitch Marner's well-known for lighting NHL teams on fire. You can say that he's the Human Torch. However, his stats against the San Jose Sharks are especially eye-opening. We're talking about scoring eight goals and 17 assists in 18 career games.
Marner's best outing against San Jose came on January 9, 2024. He was still with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the time, hanging out with his BFF, Auston Matthews. On this night, he scored two goals and two assists in a 7-1 rout. In fact, Marner earned the first star of that night, marking another elite game for the megastar winger.
Of course, this was during the height of the "Core Four" days and San Jose's long mediocrity stretch. Back then, the Sharks weren't close to contending and Auston Matthews and company were lighting up teams... during the regular season. But the Stanley Cup playoffs? Well, that's a different story.
Luckily, tonight is an old-fashioned regular season game between two division rivals. The Golden Knights need to rebound from a three-game losing streak in any fashion. Why not rely on a magician to make that happen?