How much will Leafs fans boo Mitch Marner in Toronto?

The Toronto Maple Leafs played a solid road game in Vegas on Thursday night, but forward Mitch Marner got the last laugh, as the Golden Knights won 6-5 in overtime.

This was the most anticipated game of the season thus far and it lived up to expectations. Marner registered two assists, while Auston Matthews scored a goal. However, the most interesting nugget of the game was during warm-up's when Marner shot a puck at Matthews.

Although we all saw it, supposedly Matthews wasn't aware and was sick and tired of the Marner talk, which is understandable. Although he spent a decade with the organization, the captain clearly doesn't want to speak about a former teammate is focused on the current guys in the room.

Despite getting the last laugh with a victory at home, Marner is set to recieve a terrible welcome next Friday in Toronto, if it's anything like what we heard in Vegas. The Golden Knights game was filled with Leafs fans and everytime Marner touched the puck, they booed.

If Marner recieved boos in Vegas, I don't see a world where anyone is cheering in Toronto.

Toronto has a love-hate relationship with Mitch Marner

If you strictly look at points and show his highlight-reel, it would feel impossible that any logical fan would hate Mitch Marner. Drafted No. 4 overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the Markham, ON native was a multiple All-Star who provided crazy entertainment during the regular season.

He had multiple 90-point seasons and his chemistry with Matthews was incredible. However, the playoff failures and lack of scoring is what made Leafs fans revolt.

In 70 career playoff games, Marner scored just 13 goals, representing a 0.18 goals per game rate, which is essentially half of his regular season rate. In nine playoff apperances, he scored 1 or less goals on four occassions and his production was a big reason why the Leafs never advanced past the second round.

Marner was never a physical player, so his inability to play tough in the playoffs also made fans detest him because not only couldn't he score, but he wouldn't get into the dirty areas, which is what you want to see from a player in the playoffs. The 28-year-old felt like a player you could intimidate and was never going to be someone who led this team to the promised land.

Not only that, but his dad's influence and inability to accept a trade for Mikko Rantanen last year was the last straw for fans, as 95 percent of the fanbase was happy to see him go.

The Leafs may miss Marner's offense during the regular season, but when it comes to the playoffs, they're not going to miss going to "war" with him. As a result, expect the Leafs vs. Golden Knights game at Scotiabank Arena on January 23rd to feel like a playoff game, and expect Marner to get booed everytime he touches the puck.