Mitch Marner may have had five goals and 15 assists for 20 points in 18 games this season, but his head coach Sheldon Keefe isn’t entirely happy with his star player’s performance this season.
After the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, Keefe Marner asked the media for more.
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“He just doesn’t perform as expected from Mitch [Marner]he said Saturday in comments carried by the TSN network. Sometimes he’s had enough. But there’s no doubt that Mitch hasn’t found his rhythm here yet.”
Like his linemate Auston Matthews, the 26-year-old forward offers ups and downs. He played two four-point games against the Buffalo Sabers on November 4 and the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 6 before being suspended four times in the next six games.
“They don’t make plays, everything dies on their sticks,” Keefe continued.
The pilot behind the bench of the Ontario team therefore expects a reaction from the two skaters.
“It definitely gets my attention because it happens more often than I would like and it’s not positive enough. They have already been challenged, they have responded.”
So Marner knows what to expect. After posting a 97-point season in 2021-2022 and another 99-point season last year, he’ll need to get on the scoresheet much more regularly from now on.