On Thursday night, Mitch Marner scored a hat trick to help lead his Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-3 overtime shootout win against the Seattle Kraken. It was a spectacular performance by Marner in the game. With the goals, he emphatically broke out of a multi-game scoring drought.
So, no goals for eight games and then three in one night. What gives? The answer is John Tavares. According to Mike Kelly, who is an expert in analytics, Tavares is a key reason that Marner had his goal-scoring breakout.
Tavares Played a Huge Unseen Role in Marner’s Hat Trick
Specifically, on Marner’s first goal, the trio of Auston Matthews, Marner, and Tavares engaged in a puck battle behind the Kraken net. Tavares skillfully backhanded the puck to Matthews, who then relayed it to Nylander. Nylander’s precise pass found Marner, strategically positioned and all alone to the left of Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer. Marner made no mistake, depositing the puck into the wide-open net.
The second goal occurred just as a Maple Leafs power-play expired. Marner’s powerful one-timer deflected off Kraken defender Adam Larsson’s stick and over Grubauer’s shoulder.
Marner’s third goal was a thing of beauty. Tyler Bertuzzi deflected Larsson’s pass in the Toronto zone right to Jake McCabe. Simultaneously, Marner broke up the ice, positioning himself perfectly behind the defensive line. McCabe gave him a flawless stretch pass, and Marner went in alone on a breakaway and once again scored against Grubauer.
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Marner’s three-goal performance revitalized his personal scoring statistics. It also played a key role in the team’s win over the Kraken. However, if Kelly is right, none of that would have happened if Tavares had not been in the background creating the action with his ability to dig out pucks and win key on-ice battles.
No Tavares, Kelly notes, no electrifying Marner scoring goals.
So Who’s Mike Kelly, and What’s His Point?
In a recent segment on Hockey Central, Mike Kelly is the Director of Analytics and Insights from Sportlogiq. In his conversation with the Hockey Central panel, he shed light on an intriguing aspect of the Maple Leafs’ recent Kraken game. That was the almost unseen contribution of Tavares – the team’s captain.
Kelly’s deep dive into the surprising resurgence of Marner in Thursday’s game revealed that his hat trick came from somewhere. While Marner’s flashy plays caught the camera’s spotlight, Kelly highlighted that Tavares was an unsung hero of the story because he did his work behind the scenes. Ironically, that work did not find its way onto the score sheet, because the box score will show that Tavares had zero points during the game.
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However, his work on Thursday had the effect of lifting Marner’s contributions. And, that narrative can be missed. Kelly’s point is that Tavares’ play behind the scenes consistently elevates his linemates’ performances. What Tavares does, better than anyone else in the NHL, is to win puck battles. In that category, he ranks first in the NHL.
Kelly went on to report that Tavares’ ability has also been instrumental in lifting the success of linemates like William Nylander, whose stellar start to the season – 12 goals in his first 19 games – was in part shaped by Tavares’ work. From what Kelly and his associates have tracked, Tavares’ impact extends well past the scoresheet. He opens up space and generates second-chance opportunities through winning relentless battles along the boards.
Tavares Makes a Positive Impact on His Linemates’ Success
To listen to Kelly speak about Tavares’ influence, click on the video above. Here Kelly dissects Marner’s hat trick sequence. As he does so, he emphasizes the crucial puck battles won by Tavares that set the stage for the goals. Although the captain’s contribution was not reflected in terms of his scoring and points, it was obvious that he had an intangible impact he has on the team’s overall performance.
Currently, Tavares stands at 995 points in his career. If Kelly is right, imagine how many other goals he’s influenced without making this list of 561 “helpers” (assists) over his career.
Bonus John Tavares Maple Leafs Trivia
Just for fun, I have created a short trivia quiz made up of questions about Tavares’ time with the Maple Leafs. Tavares is currently in his sixth season with the team. See how well you can recall his statistics during these six seasons.
- In which season did John Tavares score the most points for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
- A) 2018-19
- B) 2019-20
- C) 2020-21
- D) 2021-22
- How many goals did Tavares score during the 2018-19 NHL season with the Maple Leafs?
- A) 41
- B) 47
- C) 34
- D) 28
- During the 2019-20 season, how many assists did Tavares contribute to the Maple Leafs?
- A) 26
- B) 34
- C) 24
- D) 60
- How many total points did Tavares accumulate in the 2022-23 NHL season with the Maple Leafs?
- A) 80
- B) 36
- C) 44
- D) 34
- What is John Tavares’ overall point total for his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs?
- A) 295
- B) 995
- C) 561
- D) 447
Answer Key for Tavares Trivia Quiz
Here’s the answer key for the John Tavares Maple Leafs trivia quiz:
- Answer: A) 2018-19
- Answer: B) 47
- Answer: B) 34
- Answer: A) 80
- Answer: B) 995