Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe chats with Mitch Marner before the team's first practice after a 4-3 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks. DETROIT — After the Toronto Maple Leafs had defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast caught Mitch Marner giving high fives with his teammates. On the inside of his gloves, Marner had a blue ‘Z’ and explained its significance. “Yeah that’s my guy Zeus, he’s on my stick now, too,” Marner explained on Monday. Zeus is Marner’s three-year-old chocolate lab. He first shared his dog on his personal instagram during the beginning of the pandemic in March of 2020. [embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KmTF7FLUa[/embed] “He doesn’t have a damn clue what I do for a living and doesn’t have a damn clue about what anything thinks about me. He just loves me for being his dad buzzing around out doors with him, so I put him on there for the remembrance and to have fun.” [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O__JqA7QKFo[/embed] Marner has been “buzzin’” around the ice as the Maple Leafs forward is in the midst of a career-high 16-game point streak. He is two games away from matching the franchise record that is jointly held by Darryl Sittler and Ed Olczyk. Marner’s consistency has been at an exceptional pace. There are just two games out of 23 this season that he has not recorded at least one point. When the 25-year-old has a bad shift or he needs a reminder or pick me up, he takes a peek. He uses Zeus as inspiration. “I just try to do what he does out there when he’s on the field. Just buzz around and chase down the ball and be a big force.” Marner said he started putting the ‘Z’ on his glove and stick for a couple of years and has hid it there for a while. In addition to his offensive play, Marner has contributed on all ends of the ice. “It’s just something to have my guy out there to have with me when I’m playing.
