With everyone focused on Mitch Marner lately, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward really came through in Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs second-round series against the Florida Panthers. With 6:20 into the third period, he slid the puck to Auston Matthews, and just like that, the duo got their team on the scoreboard. After all the discussions and critiques, they really showed what they’re capable of as the star duo of the Maple Leafs.

After the tough 2-0 victory against the Panthers in Game 6, Mitch Marner paused to highlight not his own play, but the trust and togetherness within the Maple Leafs’ locker room during the post-game press conference. “I mean, like we’ve talked about all year, we don’t care. We just go out there and we want to do our thing. That’s, you know, what you love about this team is there’s a lot of trust in that locking with one another,” said the No. 16 of the Maple Leafs.

“You know, it was a great morning skate like 1 spoke about and, you know, we carried on to the game and we knew it wasn’t gonna be easy. We knew we weren’t gonna get many looks. The thing we just loved about it was staying patient with our game. A couple big kills to start off too and, you know, just stuck with it and got the result.” The 27-year-old winger talked about how crucial it is to stay patient and composed, particularly in those close, low-scoring games like this one. He mentioned that an excellent morning skate really helped set the right tone.

Marner’s comments come as rumors are buzzing that his time in Toronto might be coming to a close. His contract is running out at the end of the year, and since there’s no extension in place yet, people are really starting to wonder if the Maple Leafs can keep one of their homegrown stars. There’s been a lot of chatter about his possible departure, especially with all the attention he’s been getting during these playoffs. Even though Marner is one of the team’s top earners and consistently performs well during the regular season, he often faces criticism for not stepping up his game when it really counts in the playoffs.

Winning Game 6 and pushing it to a Game 7 really gave Marner a chance to highlight the unity in the NHL team, even with all the uncertainty about his future hanging over him. It’s hard to say if he was deflecting from the contract talk or if it was a real moment of appreciation, but his words definitely show that he’s still really invested in his teammates, no matter what the future holds. Did you know that the team’s captain has been dealing with similar criticism just like Marner?

Shutting down the surrounding trolls, just like Mitch Marner

“Oh, I mean, of course, you want to score. You want to do that. But just doing all the other little things, obviously getting opportunities, it’s on me to capitalize on them. But I’m just going to continue to shoot, continue to compete out there and work and do the little things to the best of my ability. And when those opportunities come, I’m just going to keep shooting and keep believing that the next one’s going in,” Auston Matthews said before Game 6 against the Florida Panthers.

The captain pointed out how crucial it is for him to keep his focus on the process rather than getting distracted by missed opportunities. He got that everyone wants to score, but he really highlighted how important it is to pay attention to the little things on the ice. Matthews had a way of talking that mixed being responsible with a lot of confidence, saying, “I mean, I think the focus is just on this group. I think all the outside stuff isn’t really paid too much attention to. You know, it’s the 25 guys are in this locker room, the staff, the coaches, all that, you know, playing for one another. And the focus is just on inside the room.”

Toronto’s captain was emphasizing that the Maple Leafs are all about what truly counts right now, blocking out any distractions as they prepare for the playoff showdown. This type of message really highlights how seasoned leaders deal with pressure. He made it clear that he wouldn’t buckle under pressure, and sure enough, he didn’t—he went on to score the opening goal of Game 6 later on.