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• Updated May 28, 2026 at 12:25pm

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Jay Rosehill Discusses Mitch Marner's Postseason Performance

The Vegas Golden Knights will be playing in the Stanley Cup after punching their ticket to the big dance after sweeping the Presidents trophy winning Colorado Avalanche in the western conference finals.

Vegas will be looking to win their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. This is the third time they have reached the finals and first one they will feature in since their 2023 championship winning run versus the Florida Panthers.

One player who has played an integral role in Vegas’ 2026 playoff success has been Mitch Marner. The 29-year old Canadian forward did not experience much postseason success during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That has changed with his new team as Marner has flourished with the Golden Knights.

Marner Reacts to Vegas’ Conference Finals Victory

Marner shared some honest comments in his Game 4 postgame interview, reflecting on his past career struggles and the elation of exercising those playoff demons: “It was a special moment. There’s been some dark times in hockey for myself honestly… I’m thankful for my family. That was a moment to just express some joy and fun.”

While Marner has enjoyed a successful tenure in the NHL as one of the top players in the game, that has not come without adversity. Marner received plenty of criticism in Toronto for not being perceived as a clutch playoff performer during his time with the club.

And to be fair, Marner did not perform nearly as well come playoff time in his nine year Maple Leafs stint. In 70 postseason games with Toronto, Marner amassed 13 goals and 50 assists for 63 points. He produced at below a point-per-game rate, a considerably lesser rate of production than his regular season totals with the club.

Now compare that to his stint with Vegas so far and its night and day. Marner currently leads all players in postseason scoring as he has tallied seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points in 16 games. The tables have turned with the Golden Knights; Marner has actually been better in the playoffs than the regular season.

Marner’s Knights Looking to Win Stanley Cup

After Vegas’ round three victory, Marner has now won more playoff series with the Golden Knights (3) than he did in his entire Toronto tenure (2). He will be looking to make that four as his team awaits the winner of the eastern conference finals taking place between the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes.

That would be quite a feat for Marner to potentially win the Stanley Cup in the first season removed from his former team. It would only rub further salt into the worsening wound of the Maple Leafs fanbase that has to watch their former star achieve what he never could in Toronto.

Vegas continues to make its mark as an expansion team that has reached an unprecedented level of success in their still early days in the league. The Golden Knights have only missed the playoffs once in their initial nine seasons in the NHL. They will be aiming to make it multiple Stanley Cup championships in round four.