Recent Mitch Marner/Nathan MacKinnon comparison not based in reality
A recent comparison involving Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner and Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon might be the biggest reach of the summer so far.
Nathan MacKinnon has a Stanley Cup, a Lady Byng Trophy, a Ted Lindsay Award, a Hart Trophy and a Calder Trophy to his name while Marner has none of the above and zero awards since entering the NHL. One is a supremely skilled playmaker while the other is widely considered the fastest player in the league next to Connor McDavid and can change the game in an instant. This is not necessarily a knock on Mitch Marner as much as it is a "give your head a shake" moment for "Editor in Leaf" writer James Tanner.
While the team success between the Leafs and Avs can be compared to an extent when it comes to the regular season, there is no comparison to be made when it comes to the postseason. It's also hard to compare MacKinnon and Marner as they are wildly different players.
In June of 2021 after being eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round, MacKinnon was very blunt about his career to that point and left the media almost speechless with one of his comments.
After eight seasons, three of which he and the Avalanche missed the playoffs, and a handful of first and second-round exits, MacKinnon's comment appeared to have turned the tide on his career and the Avalanche's success as a team. The following season, he helped the Avalanche capture the Stanley Cup.
The turning point of their Cup run happened during their second-round series against the St. Louis Blues in the third period of game five when MacKinnon used his game-changing speed to go end-to-end to complete a hat-trick and give the Avalanche the lead after the Blues had scored three straight goals.
How can anyone watch that clip and honestly tell me they've seen Mitch Marner do anything like this in the playoffs in his entire career? Obviously, both have performed well in the regular season, but when it comes to the playoffs, one has shown up while the other has seemingly faded away at the most crucial times.
MacKinnon has racked up the points in the playoffs (114 points in 88 games), where Marner has just 50 points in 57 games and has often disappeared when the team needed him most - none more noticeable than this past season's first-round series against the Boston Bruins when Auston Matthews and William Nylander missed time with injuries and illness. MacKinnon on the other hand, has played significant time without Gabriel Landeskog and/or Mikko Rantanen and has found a way to make the players around him better and bring success to the Avalanche.
Yes, Marner is entering his ninth season and 'hasn't won sh*t' the same way MacKinnon had not, but MacKinnon took it upon himself to put in the work and become a top-five player in the league. He is a high-volume shooter, a solid finisher, has blazing speed, will throw hits, will dig the puck out of the corner, will play along the wall, and will even drop the gloves if he has to. Can anyone says the same about Mitch Marner?
Marner, and many other Leafs for that matter, have not called themselves out, but have continuously said the team is 'right there' and that they 'can learn' from things. Honestly, I'm probably rambling at this point, but you get what I'm going for here. It's complete and utter nonsense to be comparing Mitch Marner to Nathan MacKinnon in any way. Not only are they different players, but one has had success at the highest level, while the other has not and does not show up in big moments. Period.
Source: Hockey Reference: Nathan MacKinnon stats
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