Marner didn't factor into any of the Golden Knights' six goals against Toronto, but the player was happy to see his team beat Toronto
Mitch Marner and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 in an emotionally charged game at Scotiabank Arena on Friday.
Marner returned to Toronto as a visitor for the first time since departing the club in a sign-and-trade last summer. He heard boos every time he touched the puck and also heard cheers as he left for the bench at the end of the shift. In the end, the player got the last laugh, sweeping the two-game series this season against the Leafs.
After the game, Marner spoke about the boos, getting through the day and reacted to the tribute video that the Leafs played for him during the TV timeout.
What was today like for you?
Yeah, it was a little odd at first, to be honest. I mean, just walking the other side, like I talked about this morning, they love their team, so it was interesting the whole night, and I really appreciated the love and support throughout the tribute video, and I still got a lot of love for these fans.
What was that moment like, the video tribute?
Yeah, I don't know. I was trying to just take it in and, you know, not get emotional and try to remember we're still in a hockey game and we're playing hockey. But, yeah, I was trying to give a point there to Bonesy. Obviously, he's meant to a lot of Leafs Nation through his time, and I didn't get to say it this morning. But, yeah, just listening to his calls and being a part of his calls was a special feeling. And, you know, what a legend. So I tried to give him a quick hand up there. But I don't know if he saw it or not. But, yeah, I tried to give my love back and then get back into the game.
Did you feel like your teammates tonight really trying to get a win for you?
Definitely. Yeah, I mean, I think first off, we weren't happy with our starts in Boston and really even Philly. So we wanted to start well. But yeah, you know, everyone brought it tonight. It was great to see all four lines, all three D pairs, a lot of communication, some big saves by Hillwhen we needed him too. So, yeah, it was a good feeling.
What were the emotions like this afternoon as the hours kind of ticked down and you ended up going into the building here with your team?
Yeah, I mean, well, first I was just trying to, obviously, after everything, did our meetings, did our stuff, ate my pregame, just got a nap in, and then called Miles back home, was just talking to him, and that kind of just gets your mind off of everything. And then the way to the rink, I didn't think of it too much. It was really kind of one warm-up sit. It kind of just felt odd and weird. But, yeah, it was a little bit of an odd day, but happy to get the two points.
Is there a relief, a sense of relief now that it's over?
Yeah, completely, definitely. Honestly, yeah, I mean, don't have to talk about it anymore. I'm sure those guys are relieved, too, about having not to talk about it, too. So, yeah, like I said, I appreciate the love throughout that trivia video and passionate and fan base.
What was warm-ups like? There are a lot of signs for you on the glass. What was the warm-up like?
Yeah, it was cool. I mean, there was a lot of love, definitely. You know, it's hard to try to give everything to, you know, people with signs, but I was trying to acknowledge him as much as I can. You know, it was nice. I saw my mom up in the crowd, too. I was real happy. It was cool to see all those signs. Like I said, there's a lot of love here still, and I appreciate these fans.
There were some boos, of course, as you expected, and then cheering when you went off. What was that like during that?
Yeah, it was fun. I thought I knew it was going to come tonight. The cheering when I was going off was pretty funny. I didn't see that one coming in the way. The booing I had, it was what I expected. Just try to play through it, play with puck, play my game, and do my thing.
So 2-0 against your old buddies over there. You got some bragging rights? Do you bring that up at all? Is it nice to have that at all?
I'm sure. You know, it just feels good to get those points. We need those points. We're in a tight race in our division, so it feels good to win any game. So, yeah, we just got to keep going here, keep the pedal down. We got a hard road trip still to finish off here, so we got to make sure we're ready.