There has been plenty of talk regarding Mitch Marner’s playoff breakthrough this postseason. The former Maple Leafs star currently leads the playoff field with 18 points. But as we’ve noted, that’s a total that must be taken with a grain of salt.
Meanwhile, Vegas Golden Knights fans have moved to justify Marner’s coming-out performance this year. The performance has certainly been impressive, but it hasn’t exactly come against the NHL’s best teams.
No offense to the Anaheim Ducks or Utah Mammoth, but they’re not the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche were the NHL’s best team cover to cover this season. They had the league’s best defense and offense.
Colorado was the runaway Presidents’ Trophy winner this season, with Vegas finishing 26 points below them in the overall standings.
Of course, regular-season numbers have no bearing on the playoffs. But until Marner torches the Avalanche, he can’t be taken for real. We all recall what Marner has done in huge games against the NHL’s best teams.
“I thought Marner didn’t perform in high pressure games”
— Cheeko (@Cheeko905) May 15, 2026
Marner in high pressure games for Toronto: pic.twitter.com/BArtvH0ZOY
Marner has an opportunity to rewrite his narrative. He can do so by taking the Avalanche to the cleaners. If he does, he can prove, once and for all, that he is a playoff performer. For whatever reason, that just didn’t happen in Toronto.
Perhaps getting away from the unrealistic expectations of playing for the Maple Leafs allowed Marner to find his playoff edge.
At least that’s what Vegas fans hope for.
What happens if Marner fizzles against Colorado?
So, what happens if the Avalanche shut down Marner? The easy way out would be to chalk that up to the NHL’s best team finding a way to shut down Vegas’ top players. In fact, that would be the plan for Colorado. The aim would be to shut Marner, Jack Eichel, and Shea Theodore down, forcing their depth to step up.
If Marner can’t pound the Avalanche, the narrative surrounding Marner’s inability to come up big in big games will persist. If anything, Marner could go quiet the entire series. But if he has a big game when it matters most, say, in a Game 6 or 7, he would dispel any remaining doubts.
For the sake of hockey, Marner has to excel. Fans want to see hockey at its highest level in the Western Conference Final. Two deep, veteran teams will be squaring off in what figures to be a doozy of a series.
And whether he likes it or not, Marner will be in the spotlight for good or bad.
Add us as a preferred source on Google