Leafs' Mitch Marner Continues to Show Increased Physicality, Takes Out Penguins' Kris Letang
Leafs winger Mitch Marner has continued to show his increased physicality, taking Penguins defenseman Kris Letang out with a heavy hit.
Earlier this week, Mitch Marner turned a lot of heads when he went after a Nashville Predators forward, initiating a scrum behind the Leafs' net in defense of his goaltender, Joseph Woll, who had been run into on the play.
Now, just a few nights later, Marner has once again unleashed his inner beast, this time delivering a stiff hit on Penguins defenseman Kris Letang during the Leafs' 5-2 loss to the Pens.
The play occurred as Marner was carrying the puck out of the Leafs' zone, attempting to get a clear. While fighting off a check from Letang, Marner lowered his shoulder a bit and stopped up for a reverse hit, sending Letang crashing to the ice and into the boards by the Penguins' bench.
Marner, who is in a contract year, appears to have added some tools to his toolbox under new head coach Craig Berube, who tends to push his players towards more of an aggressive play style.
The increased physicality seems to be agreeing with him as well, as Marner has produced a team-leading 38 points in 27 games for the Leafs thus far.
Marner has never really shown a mean streak in the past, but it's certainly nice to see him coming out of his shell a little bit more and mixing it up with the physical play on occasion. Things like that will really help the Leafs come playoff time.
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