The Maple Leafs’ second century started with a bang, especially for young star Mitch Marner.
On the exact day the franchise started NHL play a hundred years ago as the Toronto Arenas, the blue and white put on a red light show behind Carolina Hurricanes goalie Scott Darling on Tuesday afternoon.
Led by Marner’s goal and three assists, a career game for the recently points-challenged sophomore, the Leafs routed the ‘Canes, 8-1, inside a loud Air Canada Centre.
Losers of three straight, coach Mike Babcock’s team needed the two points more than the pomp and ceremony surrounding the milestone game — and they delivered in the first period.
After just four goals the past four games, the Leafs put four past a shaky Darling on just 11 shots.
The early fireworks featured Leo Komarov shorthanded snap under the bar, Marner’s first in five weeks to the blocker side, James van Riemsdyk on a Tyler Bozak rebound and Bozak’s tap in after Marner’s crafty stick work secured his third assist of the period.
The three varieties of goals, which came on both special teams and one even strength, were the first for the Leafs in one period since a win in New Jersey last January.
Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen got back on the winning track, his 18th, still needing to make more than 30 saves.
The crowd, its decibel count jacked by so many kids in the rink as part of the Leafs marketing goal to look ahead, spurred the home side’s effort, while the Canes were uncharacteristically klutzy. Darling’s indecision on some shots didn’t help.
Marner had been moved around frequently during his dearth of offence, before winding up Tuesday where he had been most productive all last year, with van Riemsdyk and Bozak.
Suddenly, his jump returned, the creative moves where no space appeared available and Marner was drawing all the attention to open an avenue for his linemates.
His fourth point was a helper on 38-year-old Patrick Marleau’s 12th goal and, back to the youth movement, converted centre William Nylander with his much-needed sixth tally and fourth liner Kaspari Kapanen.
Perhaps Marner’s line was just making sure the 20,000th goal in franchise history would be scored in the centennial match as Van Riemsdyk had the milestone. It completed a link to Reg Noble, who had the first goal for the Arenas in their 10-9 loss to the Montreal Wanderes.
In keeping with special teams, the Leafs had been struggling in that area until van Riemsdyk and Marner scored, the former reaching 11 power play points.
Despite Babcock’s warning that the ‘Canes would give the Leafs no room and his team would reciprocate, the eight goals bumped the three-game series total to 26 as the clubs met for the last time this year in regular season.
The Leafs now have a record of 6-3 without Auston Matthews, still their leading scorer, who skated again in Tuesday morning, this time with the black aces. There is a chance he plays Saturday in New York, but the looming Christmas break would buy the Leafs three more days.
Connor Carrick came back on defence for the injured Nikita Zaitsev, starting in Zaitsev’s place beside Jake Gardiner, getting a late power play goal.