We’re back with another trip down memory lane, reflecting on some of the prettiest goals the Toronto Maple Leafs scored in 2024-25. Mitch Marner’s name has popped up quite a bit on this list, and while Leafs fans are for the most part over hearing about Marner since his messy exit and subsequent trade to the Vegas Golden Knights in June, it’s impossible to do a list like this and ignore what he did.
The Leafs had a couple of games last season where players scored not one, but two pretty goals in the same game. Well, Marner took it a step forward and notched three nifty goals against the Detroit Red Wings on December 27 for his third career hat trick. His first goal was arguably the nicest one, carrying the puck into the zone and weaving through Red Wings defenders before pawning the puck off to defenceman Philippe Myers. Myers put the puck on net before Tavares grabbed the rebound and fed Marner for a one-timer attempt. The first one was saved, but the puck ended up right back on Tavares’ stick before he found Marner in almost the same spot with a cheeky no look pass between the legs.
Marner’s second goal came at the end of the first period, taking a cross-ice pass on the power play from William Nylander and one-timing it home from a sharp angle. Then, in the second period, Marner kept the good times rolling with a slick deflection off a shot from defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. These were his 11th, 12th, and 13th goals of the season en route to a 27-goal, 75-assist campaign to set up his first 100-point season.
While Marner’s legacy with the Maple Leafs will unfortunately be overshadowed by the team’s lack of playoff success during his time here, as well as his tendency to disappear in big games, he gave a new generation of Leafs fans something to look forward to in the regular season. If nothing else, it was a stark contrast from how the team performed in the regular season before this new era of Maple Leafs hockey.
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