Mitch Marner makes his feelings known about Toronto Maple Leafs clinching playoff spot

The Toronto Maple Leafs punched their ticket to the postseason on Tuesday with a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers. It is Mitch Marner and the team’s ninth consecutive year reaching the playoffs, and he admitted that he was not satisfied with past results.

The Maple Leafs have been knocked out in the first round in three of their last four appearances, and Marner acknowledged they can do better, as Jonas Siegel of The Athletic reported on Friday.

"We can always do better, especially with how our playoffs have gone,” Marner said. “Obviously, we’re not satisfied with just making it and having the results that we’ve had.”

The two-time All-Star affirmed that the team has the right mindset and belief but urged that it must execute and stay calm to play through adversity and get over the playoff hump.

“Just having the belief," Marner said. "We know we have the belief. It’s just executing that and staying patient with it, knowing not every game is gonna be an easy one or everything’s gonna go your way. It’s gonna be some ups and downs, and it’s just like the (regular) season, you’ve just gotta ride it out and stay with the belief and calmness that you have.”

Toronto has only made it past the first round once in its last eight playoff appearances, falling to the Panthers in the second round in 2023. In the last eight seasons, it has finished the regular season as the third seed or higher in the Eastern Conference.

It will also be Auston Matthews and William Nylander’s ninth straight trip to the playoffs with the Maple Leafs. Marner’s 93 points through 74 games this season paces Toronto, and is tied for fourth in the league.

NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs at Los Angeles Kings - Source: Imagn

---

Mitch Marner and Maple Leafs are hot before postseason

The Maple Leafs are atop the Eastern Division with 96 points through 75 games and clinched a playoff berth with their third straight win on Tuesday. The 3-2 victory over Florida kept Toronto first in the division, moving four points in front of the Panthers and three points ahead of Tampa Bay.

NHL: Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs - Source: Imagn

Mitch Marner scored his 24th goal of the season in the third period and had an assist, while John Tavares scored his 36th. Toronto’s (46-25-4) next matchup is on Saturday when it takes on the Columbus Blue Jackets (34-31-9) on home ice.