'Just Folded In Crunch Time': Mitch Marner's Stanley Cup Bid Comes Up Empty

In the end, Mitch Marner fell short (again) when it mattered the most.

Despite leading the Stanley Cup playoffs with 29 points in 22 games, the Vegas Golden Knights right winger's bid for a championship — and a Conn Smythe Trophy — came up empty after being held to just one assist in the final three games of the final.

"Just folded in crunch time," said Drew Livingstone on X. 

"Poetic justice," tweeted @AustonStachews. 

Marner, who had been the early favorite to be named playoff MVP, received a second-place vote and three third-place votes, as Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal became the oldest player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

In a post-game interview, Staal spoke about his decision to stubbornly stay in Carolina for 14 long years while waiting for this moment.

"Some guys just jump ship," he told reporters.

Marner did not speak to reporters following the game. 

There wasn't much to say, anyway. For most of the playoffs, the 29-year-old had been Vegas' best player. But with the Golden Knights on the ropes and facing elimination, Marner suddenly went from playoff hero to shrinking superstar.

The sudden turn was nothing new to anyone who watched him with the Maple Leafs.

In nine seasons in Toronto, Marner had a history of going missing on the scoresheet when the games mattered the most. In Games 5 through 7 with the Leafs, Marner managed one goal in 26 combined opportunities.

Last year, Marner had no goals and one assist in Games 4 through 7 against the Florida Panthers. A year earlier, he had no points in Games 6 and 7 against the Boston Bruins. 

This year was slightly different.

Through the first three rounds of the playoffs, Marner was a beast. He had two goals and seven points in six games in a first-round series against Utah; he had five goals and 11 points in six games in a second-round series against Anaheim; and he had three assists in a four-game sweep against Colorado in the Western Conference final.

In the first four games of the Stanley Cup final, Marner had three goals and eight points and was easily the best player on the ice for either team.

Marner, who scored three times in a six minutes and 10 seconds in Game 3, became the fastest player to record a hat trick in the Stanley Cup final history. Heading into Game 5, teammates were praising the former Leaf, who was traded to Vegas in the off-season, as the reason for their success.

"I mean, he's been doing it all playoffs for us," Vegas' Jack Eichel told reporters. "Just pretty special, right? Pretty incredible. The whole game. He's on another level right now. So much credit to him. He's playing incredible. That was awesome to watch."

However, once the series wore on and the stakes were raised, Marner's offense began to dry up. 

It obviously didn't help that Vegas' William Karlsson was injured in Game 5, removing Marner's center from his line. Or that the Golden Knights' power play went 1-for-9. Or that Carolina made a goalie change, replacing Frederik Andersen with Brandon Bussi, who allowed just five goals in the final three games. Either way, Marner had one assist and was a minus-5 in the final three games, all losses.

Marner is still searching for that elusive championship. 

The funny thing is, he might have gotten his name on the Cup had he not refused to waive his no-trade clause, accepted a move to Carolina at last year's trade deadline and re-signed there. That reported trade would have sent then-Hurricanes right winger Mikko Rantanen to Toronto. Instead, Dallas traded Logan Stankoven to Carolina.

In six games against Vegas, Stankoven had two goals and four points. He finished third in the playoffs with 11 goals and tied for eighth in scoring with 16 points.

"Everybody wants to be a winner," Stankoven, who signed an eight-year extension with the Hurricanes, told reporters after the win. "It was a no-brainer for me to sign long-term with the Canes."

See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.