Hey check Sportsnet website ...Damian Cox ...talking about how leaf fans were hoping Arizona would draft Hannifan so leafs could take Strome .....I am not saying I was right on this but it was sure talked about in Leaf Nation .
Is Marner the best passer in the league
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Hey check Sportsnet website ...Damian Cox ...talking about how leaf fans were hoping Arizona would draft Hannifan so leafs could take Strome .....I am not saying I was right on this but it was sure talked about in Leaf Nation .
Always get a little scared when those old polls get bumped back up.
Voted "already is" of course.
Oh there are some beauties in there. Maple Leaf, classic, many more too. Some posters hit the nail on the head. Dark Knight, Diceman... great reread.
mallory67
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Leafs at Knight
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Having watched him for 3 years in junior, I didn't even have to respond to that thread, answer was obvious.
Superstar
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DarkKnight
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I remember that, lol. Some embarrassing takes last season for a kid figuring it out. That kind of heart with his skill, it was obvious to me.
It seems like that cross ice slap pass is becoming one of his signature moves. It brings the goalie out just a bit to face the shot. Seems like it drew out the defense too tonight. It takes incredible hands by Mathews or Tavares, though, to control the pass and really make that play work with a quick release.
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Wafflewhipper
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The fact that it's a slap pass works three-fold: it conceals his intention, creates an immediate threat on goal that needs to be respected, and it ensures that no matter what he opts for, it will happen with enough velocity that it will be impossible to intercept on reaction.
The real conundrum for goalies is that the way Mitch sells it, when his stick reaches the apex of the windup, your attention has to be divided into three distinct quadrants of the ice immediately. Mitch's half-board position for the short or far side slapshot. Front of net for Tavares deflection/pass. Cross ice to Matthews. Either of the latter options are a goalie's worst nightmare, but the frequency he puts it on net here with impressive precision means they cannot cheat, even a little bit. That's a lot to think about in a fraction of a second. Not just for the goalie, but the defence as a whole. I'm convinced even Marner doesn't know where it's going until the last possible second.
Less likely but also possibilities from this position are the slap pass/deflection in the high slot to Kadri (which works best infrequently as it's not even on the goalie's radar when it happens), and the fake shot behind the back pass to Reilly which doesn't pose as immediate a threat to the net, but it throws defenders for a loop and opens up a lot of ice.
How do you defend against this position? Is there an answer to it? I don't see it. Pretty brilliant, but obviously requires the talent we have to make it so effective, like you said.
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Nithoniniel
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He's just something else nowadays. There's really no lulls in his effort anymore, his skating is even better, his confidence is sky-high, and even in games where he's fighting the puck a bit, he still finds ways to have an impact.
DarkKnight
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It's like someone is controlling him with an x-box pad.
Everything he does is so silky smooth, easy and natural. He evades players like he's just skating past them in his sleep and they're moving in slow motion, it's amazing.
Then his vision.... just. I don't know what words to use. I think he honestly see's where his teammates are going to go before they even know it themselves sometimes.
Was it Gretzky who said he was told by his dad not to go where the puck is, but where it's going. That's what Marner does with the puck. He knows where players are going and he puts it there. He does the same when he's pinching pucks off sticks too. Doesn't necessarily chase people, he's already moving to where they are going to and cuts out the angles and steals pucks.
I just have genuine man love for him.
I'm hoping he loves being and playing in his home town and that he can leave a bit of the table cos of that too, to help bring more success to the team. If we could get him on a 9m x 8yrs. I think we'd have a major steal.
Everything he does is so silky smooth, easy and natural. He evades players like he's just skating past them in his sleep and they're moving in slow motion, it's amazing.
Then his vision.... just. I don't know what words to use. I think he honestly see's where his teammates are going to go before they even know it themselves sometimes.
Was it Gretzky who said he was told by his dad not to go where the puck is, but where it's going. That's what Marner does with the puck. He knows where players are going and he puts it there. He does the same when he's pinching pucks off sticks too. Doesn't necessarily chase people, he's already moving to where they are going to and cuts out the angles and steals pucks.
I just have genuine man love for him.
I'm hoping he loves being and playing in his home town and that he can leave a bit of the table cos of that too, to help bring more success to the team. If we could get him on a 9m x 8yrs. I think we'd have a major steal.
This is pretty nice. I mean, I grew up a Sabres fan, and am just old enough to remember Hawerckuk, LaFontaine, Mogilny, and Andrechuk on the same powerplay. I didn't realize how good that really was at the time, just thought that's the way it should be.
Nobody really talks about that Muckler Sabre team, though, with Grant Fuhr as goalie too, because they didn't win the Cup.
This year is like that opportunity. How many times has your name been engraved on the Stanley Cup, Mitch?
Try to score more, kid. Shoot it sometimes.
Nobody really talks about that Muckler Sabre team, though, with Grant Fuhr as goalie too, because they didn't win the Cup.
This year is like that opportunity. How many times has your name been engraved on the Stanley Cup, Mitch?
Try to score more, kid. Shoot it sometimes.
TheDoldrums
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Notsince67
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Good post. I think you are right about his last microsecond decisioning. He has calmed his mind this year and isn't overcommitting himself with or without the puck. He just seems so relaxed
GoonieFace
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Notsince67
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It is really an amazing feat. Give management credit. They surrounded the kid with guys that care about his development from Marleau to Tavares to even Matt Martin. He will continue to get stronger and I believe his shot will continue to develop. It takes a humble guy like him to develop his game the way he has without trying way too hard to put his own goals in when there are guys who are stronger on the puck down low to finish off his efforts. When goals from everyone else start to wane, you will see a different Marner who scores a bucket load.
