Mitch Marner edges Auston Matthews in multi-point 4 Nations finale
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In their 58-year absence of a Stanley Cup, one of two gifted Maple Leafs could not miss taking part when a clear window set up a smash-and-grab of the four-handled Four Nations Face-Off Trophy.
Mitch Marner, whose fingerprints were on two goals including Connor McDavid’s winner, won the border war against Auston Matthews, in a Boston barn where Toronto was eliminated three times in a first-round Game 7 series in which he and Matthews had little consolation of being their team’s leading scorer.
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Mitch Marner edges Auston Matthews in multi-point 4 Nations finale Back to video
As he’s set up Matthews 145 times on his 388 regular-season goals, Marner took a pinching Cale Makar pass around the backboard and in a blink spotted McDavid free within a box of Stars and Stripes. Game over, 3-2.
The years since 1967 haven’t been a total wasteland when considering the role of Toronto players in a best-on-best tournament. It starts with Paul Henderson saving the nation’s back bacon in 1972, with three winning goals on Russian ice in the Summit Series, the last with 34 seconds to go in a win-it-all Game 8.
Four years later, Darryl Sittler delivered the overtime dagger to beat Czechoslovakia in the deciding game of the first Canada Cup. While it’s a stretch to say brief Leaf Martin Prochazka was a difference maker when the Czechs beat out a Toronto-less Team Canada en route to the 1998 Olympic title in Nagano when NHLers were first allowed, Mats Sundin came back to Scotiabank Arena with gold in 2006 from Turin.
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In the third period of the final against Finland, Sundin won a key third-period draw leading to Nicklas Lidstrom’s 3-2 winner. And In 2016’s World Cup of hockey, the last recognized best-on-best event prior to the 4 Nations, Canadian head coach Mike Babcock brought the title trophy into his Leaf office when his squad edged Team Europe 2-1.
Matthews and Marner were given opposing sides of the stage Thursday night and found themselves a shift or two against each other through the long night at TD Garden. Twice in overtime the game was on Matthews’ stick, but Canadian keeper Jordan Binnington denied him at close range. That would’ve been a hell of a way to break an 11-game goal slump, including his last eight prior to this tournament break.
They were lined up on the winner, when McDavid first beat Matthews on the draw and got off a shot that Maker corralled to put the play in motion. Marner was notable right from the high-energy first period, even if dropped a couple of pegs in the Canadian lineup at times in the tournament.
Inside the American line, he made a couple of nice plays to keep the puck alive, but the frame also saw Matthews get a free look that Binnington stopped. Matthews did get two helpers, his wraparound rebound popping out to Brady Tkachuk for the 1-1 goal. He also showed off the shot-blocking skills that keep him in the Selke conversation each season.
American coach Mike Sullivan had decided captain Matthews might be better served on a line with fiery Brady and older brother Matthew in place of Jack Eichel, but Matthew exited with a second-period injury. Matthews supplied the primary assist on Jake Sanderson’s go-ahead goal in the second period, his blocked backhander landing in the right spot for his mate. He also had a game-high 11 faceoff wins in 20-plus minutes of action.
Marner, though not recording a shot on net, began with Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel, and helped convert an American turnover to make it 2-2, thinking pass all the way to Sam Bennett on the odd-man rush. He was moved up with McDavid and Brayden Point late in the game.
It’s back to the NHL regular season grind on Saturday against Carolina at Scotiabank Arena for both Leafs and the 4 Nations will soon fade in the shadow of the much more meaningful playoffs. But you know Marner was clutching his post-game gold medal as tight as he could, hoping it’s going to be part of a bigger finish for both.
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