For the first time since signing in Sin City last summer, Mitch Marner will play his first NHL game in Toronto as a member of the opposition.
Fresh off a 4-3 loss in Boston Thursday night, the Vegas Golden Knights are town to tangle with the Leafs for the second time in eight days. Back on January 15th, Jack Eichel notched the OT winner as the Golden Knights overcame three multi-goal deficits to outlast Toronto 6-5. Marner had two apples in that one.
Needless to say, all angles were covered for the most anticipated game of the season on the Friday edition of Leafs Morning Take as Zack Phillips filled in for Jay Rosehill. We kicked things off by breaking down Elliotte Friedman’s excellent piece for Sportsnet.ca, which detailed where things ultimately went off the rails for Marner in Toronto. The article offered a retrospective timeline of the key moments that led to the local product reaching free agency and eventually signing with the Golden Knights. Honestly, the piece probably infuriated people more than they already were. It should be a fascinating atmosphere at Scotiabank Arena.
Lost in the shuffle of all the Marner hoopla is the fact that this is a massive game in the standings for Craig Berube and company. They need this one in the worst way, especially with Buffalo, Boston, and Florida all picking up wins on Thursday night. On the injury front, it appears the Leafs may have dodged a bit of a bullet. After exiting Tuesday night’s game against Detroit early with a lower-body injury, Oliver Ekman-Larsson is expected to play. Meanwhile, despite reports that he tweaked something last game, Brandon Carlo also took the morning skate and is expected to suit up, too— which speaks to the magnitude of this game. In addition to that, to the surprise of many, fresh off his AHL conditioning stint, Anthony Stolarz occupied the starter’s crease at the morning skate, which suggests he’s ready to return. Due to a lingering nerve issue, Stolarz hasn’t played since November 11th.
At any rate, to help tee things up further, Dan Riccio, co-host of OFF THE ROSTER, then dropped by the show. We touched on Marner’s legacy, if the fan base will ever get over how he handled his departure out of town, and what to expect at Scotiabank Arena for this one. It won’t be John Tavares’ return to Long Island, but there should be a few boo birds, that’s for sure.
Big weekend ahead for the Leafs. They have the Vegas game, then Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche will invade Scotiabank Arena for a matinee affair on Sunday. We’ll break everything down on the Monday edition of Leafs Morning Take. Also, David Pagnotta will be in as co-host for Jay Rosehill.
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