Apr 12, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (16) celebrates with forwards William Nylander (88) and John Tavares (91) after scoring the winning goal against the Montreal Canadiens in overtime at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/fcd781f5-5617-47c6-997f-e6b91bc1ad18.jpeg] Apr 12, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (16) celebrates with forwards William Nylander (88) and John Tavares (91) after scoring the winning goal against the Montreal Canadiens in overtime at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Mitch Marner was doing it on all ends of the ice on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. Toronto clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday night with a 1-0 overtime win over the Canadiens, in what was the first 1-0 overtime game in the history of the rivalry, regular season or playoffs. Fittingly, it was Marner who played the hero, scoring the game’s only goal just 36 seconds into overtime. But it wasn’t just the game-winner that made his performance stand out, it was everything else he did to help get them there. With the Leafs dressing only five defensemen due to injuries and a lack of salary cap space, the star winger was asked to potentially take reps on the blue line. Head coach Craig Berube hinted at the possibility pre-game, and sure enough, Marner took a few shifts on defense, even pairing with Brandon Carlo in the offensive zone. “(It) kind of reminded me of when I was younger, being on the ice for a penalty kill with a lot of the top guys on the ice. I almost felt out of place being out there with Marner, Willy, A-Matts and maybe JT or something at some point. It’s fun. I enjoyed the opportunity to play on the left side a little bit and felt like we did pretty good,” said Carlo post-game. "I don't have a lot of guys with experience that have played back there other than Mitch (Marner)," Berube said following the club's optional morning skate. “He was fine. Not a lot happened with it. He was on defense in overtime, too, but I mean, like I said, he’s a smart player. He knows how to play the position and understands the game extremely well,” said Berube after the win. It’s not the first time Marner’s slid back. Known as a high-end two-way forward, Marner has stepped in as a defenseman before, including in dire situations, and often plays the point on Toronto’s five-forward power-play unit. He’s comfortable back there – and, as he put it after the game, he actually enjoys it. “I like it back there. I think I expressed that to you guys last year. I don’t feel lost or uncomfortable. I try not to make it difficult on myself, just try to make easy, quick plays. I enjoy it back there when I get the chance to play D, to be honest,” said Marner. Maple Leafs' Craig Berube Unsure If He'll Use A Forward On Defense Against Canadiens But Mitch Marner Is The Obvious Candidate [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/f1dcbabc-4733-4437-96cd-4e18cb9a3956.jpeg] Maple Leafs' Craig Berube Unsure If He'll Use A Forward On Defense Against Canadiens But Mitch Marner Is The Obvious Candidate Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has not decided if he will use a forward on defense as the club dresses an undermanned lineup against the Montreal Canadiens and Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. However, he did say it was a possibility. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-craig-berube-unsure-if-hell-use-a-forward-on-defense-against-canadiens-but-mitch-marner-is-the-obvious-candidate] “We talked about it yesterday on the ice after practice, just saying that he’s going to use me on the back end tomorrow, just seeing how the minutes go for some of our D-men and obviously with a back-to-back coming. I said, ‘Yeah, that’s fine with me.’ Like we just talked about last year, I got some serious periods back there when I was playing D, so that’s something I’m comfortable with, and I kind of like it back there, to be honest,” he added. His presence on the backend helped the Leafs earn two points in a game in which they were missing both Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Given the circumstances, Toronto was ineligible for a long-term injured reserve exception and had to play short a skater. They’ll be allowed a call-up under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement for Sunday’s game in Carolina, with Dakota Mermis set to join the team. Dakota Mermis To Be Recalled On Emergency Basis From Marlies, Will Be In Maple Leafs' Lineup Against Hurricanes [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/4d4347bc-d322-4a17-aa8a-33db34793a08.jpeg] Dakota Mermis To Be Recalled On Emergency Basis From Marlies, Will Be In Maple Leafs' Lineup Against Hurricanes Mermis has played one game in the NHL this season, with the Utah Hockey Club in mid-December. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/dakota-mermis-to-be-recalled-on-emergency-basis-from-marlies-will-be-in-maple-leafs-lineup-against-hurricanes] Still, Toronto’s defense held down the fort, allowing a season-low 15 shots. The Leafs also blocked 18 shots, controlling possession and limiting scoring chances, with Montreal failing to register a single 5-on-5 shot in the first period. “He plays 5-on-4 on the power play at the top there, so he’s got a little experience there dealing with odd-man rushes and guys coming at him,” said goaltender Anthony Stolarz. “I thought he did a phenomenal job just spelling those guys and allowing some to take a breather. I know all five guys worked their tails off tonight and sacrificed a lot. We had a lot of blocked shots in front that helped make my job easier. So, we appreciate Mitchy doing that for us.” The 27-year-old logged 26:29 of ice time, most among all Leafs skaters, and capped off his night by jumping on for a change in 3-on-3 overtime, joining William Nylander on a rush before burying his 26th of the season glove side past Canadiens goaltender, Jakub Dobes. “Big save by Stols there. I didn’t really see what happened after. Just kick out, Willy going down the ice, and we talked that Brando was going to change and I was going to jump over and play D in that 3-on-3, so luckily jumped over. Willy made a great play, a little curl-up, and I was able to have some time to go downhill and pick my spot.” With the win, the Leafs improved to 49-26-4, good for first in the Atlantic Division with three games left and a four-point cushion over both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers. “We really stayed patient with our game tonight,” said Marner. “I think our D, when we really needed them, were unreal for us. Some big key blocks and some big key stick plays. But, yeah, as a group, we just committed to playing defence first tonight, and that’s something we were happy to see.” Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! 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