After years of big-game criticism, Mitch Marner delivered with a huge goal for Canada
Who says Mitch Marner can’t deliver in a big game?
Marner sent Canada into a frenzy, taking a drop pass in overtime from his hero Sidney Crosby, entered Sweden‘s zone with speed, and let go an accurate wrister past goaltender Filip Gustavsson. For several years now, Marner has been on the receiving end of criticism regarding his ability to step up in big moments, and in Montreal on Wednesday night, during game one of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, Marner finally delivered in the clutch.
While some of Leafs Nation may feel differently, Canada’s head coach Jon Cooper praised Marner after the game, stating he doesn’t lack confidence at all in big moments. “Are you saying it is a confidence-building goal?” Cooper asked. “Well, that kid oozes confidence. I thought it was a big-time player making a big-time play at a big-time moment. That is why guys like him are on this team. It was fabulous.”
On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Frank Seravalli dished on what they saw from Marner, in one of the biggest hockey games of his life.
Yaremchuk: I want to talk about the two Canadian heroes in overtime, first Mitch Marner. He was a little pedestrian through 40 minutes, I think would be fair, but then he comes through and has that moment, and totally redeems himself. We have Leaf fans in our comments saying – ‘come on MLSE, back up that Brinks truck for that guy’. He changed his view in basically one shot, half a second.
Seravalli: Yeah, and I think look, the big knock on Mitch Marner has been he folds in the big moments. Where is the playoff success to speak of, and then you get a night like last night. This is not the Stanley Cup Playoffs, you’re playing for a trophy that has no name. But, to be in this environment, to be with those players, the one-percenters of the NHL, Mitch Marner has been in that category by play, production, and also pay.
Now, he delivers in a big moment, and you could see not just the exhale in this building, but also the exhale amongst Canada now, too. Pretty special performance from Marner, and the amazing part about that overtime was that Nathan MacKinnon had at least four grade-A opportunities to score, and the sequence too itself. If you watch it again, Crosby playing the puck backwards out of the zone, has to scurry to to the bench to get onside, there’s a lot of layers to it.
For more on Canada’s opening victory to kick off the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, and to get teed up for USA/Finland, watch the full episode below.