It was the most anticipated game of the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs as Mitch Marner played against his former team in Toronto for the first time. With the media hyping up this game all week and all the stories coming to light, this game was going to be hostile.
Many fans are in a mix when it comes to Marner. On one side, some fans loved Marner as a part of the organization, as he was a big part of their regular season success, while the other half of fans are happy he left with all the playoff failures on his behalf.
Last night’s game between Marner’s new squad and familiar foes with the likes of Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies, fans were in for a treat. Let’s break it down.
Boos in warm-up
Seeing Marner in another uniform that is not a Maple Leafs uniform was something fans had to get used to on TV, but seeing it live during his warmup felt very weird to look at. The boo birds were out, and as soon as Marner stepped onto the ice, the building was as loud as it has ever been.
The broadcast was very hard to hear, as fans were egging Marner on, booing him constantly while he was embracing and smiling throughout the warmup. Let’s be honest, what was he expecting?
Marner was catching up with some old teammates, as there were glimpses of him speaking with Jake McCabe in some clips online and Max Domi praising the Vegas forward on the Sportsnet panel. An entertaining way to start the Mitch Marner Bowl.
Toronto looked terrible
Marner’s line started the game against the Leafs, and instantly, the constant booing started and continued throughout the night. Every time Marner touched the puck, all the broadcasts picked up were the boo birds and chirps.
The game did not go as planned for Toronto, as Vegas came into town on the second half of a back-to-back and came out hot with 10 shots in the first, going up 2–0 to start. The Leafs looked to have life, bringing the game back by cutting the lead to 4–3 in the third, but Vegas captain Mark Stone buried two goals and finished the Leafs. Final score, 6–3. Although he scored no points, Marner got his first win in Toronto against his former team.
Marner 2–0 vs Toronto
As sad as it is to say, Marner has now beaten the Leafs twice since leaving the organization. From being one of the most highly anticipated games, the Leafs came out flat and lost a very important game on home ice.
A very entertaining week within the media as fans were excited to have the opportunity to boo one of the Leafs’ former golden boys. The Leafs won’t see Marner until next season unless both teams make the Stanley Cup final. Until then, Marner and the Golden Knights have the last laugh over a hostile Toronto fan base.
