When John Tortorella watched Mitch Marner from the other bench, he saw a player who could change a game. He also heard the whispers—the playoff struggles, the lack of production when it mattered most. But now, as Marner's head coach with the Vegas Golden Knights, Tortorella sees a player completely unfazed by the narrative.
"I don't think it bothers him a lick," Tortorella said. "He just plays."
And play he has. After nearly a decade in Toronto where playoff success never extended past the second round, Marner is rewriting his postseason story in Sin City. With a hat trick in Game 3 against Anaheim, he now leads all playoff scorers with 13 points and is tied for the most goals with six. The Golden Knights hold a 2-1 series lead, and Marner is making it look effortless.
His linemate, William Karlsson, has a front-row seat to the magic—and the occasional earful when Marner wants the puck.
"He's very vocal out there, so he makes it easy for you," Karlsson said. "I always know where he is. That's a great part of his game. But also, he sees passes kind of that aren't there—but for him they are, and he makes it work."
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the story couldn't be more different for Buffalo's Tage Thompson. Making his NHL postseason debut, Thompson struggled mightily as the Sabres fell to the Canadiens, evening their series at one game apiece heading into Montreal.
"Trying to chase the game, try and force plays that aren't there and just wasn't executing," Thompson said, taking full responsibility. "Everything I touched turned into disaster tonight, so tough one. Got to be better."
Thompson was a point-a-game performer through the first seven playoff contests, but Game 2 was a different story. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff chalked it up to frustration and expects a bounce-back performance from his star forward—and the rest of the team.
As the second round heats up, two players are heading in opposite directions. One is silencing critics with every shift. The other is searching for answers. For hockey fans, it's the kind of drama that makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs unforgettable.
Game to Watch: Game 3, Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN).