In Toronto, during what turned out to be Mitch Marner`s final, excessively long shift as a Maple Leaf, the fans who once adored the team he grew up supporting expressed their displeasure with boos every time he touched the puck.
Worn out by a fruitless six-on-five power play that lasted an extended 106 seconds and demoralized by the scoreboard showing the familiar, nightmare-inducing 6-1 scoreline, Marner relinquished the puck and skated off the Scotiabank Arena ice to the home bench for what will likely be his final time on Sunday.
However, before reaching the bench, his renowned skating prowess was tested as he had to navigate around a replica jersey thrown onto the ice mid-game. His skates also had to traverse a stain from spilled beer, hurled onto the rink in frustration, mirroring the sentiment directed at the bench itself.
This marks the conclusion.
For Mitch Marner.
And for team president Brendan Shanahan.
This time, it feels final.
