Ed Olczyk’s take on Mitch Marner closing in on the Maple Leafs’ consecutive game points record?
“Must be the number,” Eddie O laughed on the phone from Chicago of sharing sweater 16 with Marner. “I’ll always have a soft spot for the Maple Leafs and Toronto, but I’m also a big admirer of Mitch for the way he plays.
“You’re on a heater like that (17 games with a point, one shy of the team record shared by Olczyk and Darryl Sittler), yet he still accepts and excites — meaning he knows his role on both sides of the puck and he’s exciting to watch. He’s in the middle of everything. Then you get on a roll like this, there’s no better feeling in the world.”
Marner is at six goals and 17 assists in total for his streak, Olczyk’s run in 1989-90 was 11-17, Sittler’s 12 years earlier came to 17-16. Both Olczyk, now an analyst for TNT and the Seattle Kraken, and Sittler played in a time of generally less athletic goalies with smaller equipment and rudimentary team pre-scouting of opponents. That would set Marner at a higher degree of difficulty in getting this far with his streak.
“You have to give (Sittler and Olczyk) credit, it’s extremely hard to do no matter what era,” Toronto captain John Tavares replied, while conceding: “The way teams prepare now for players with the amount of information, the video and how it’s dissected and how they’re aware what you do well, (a streak) is really impressive. You have to find ways to adapt and be difficult to play against, not be one-dimensional. Mitch is a threat in so many areas.”
Olczyk said Marner has taken full advantage of playing in all situations to help his streak along, power play, penalty killing and 5-on-5, as well as a catalyst in one of the best top six forward packages in club history. When taken off Auston Matthews’ right wing near the start of the streak, Marner joined John Tavares and didn’t miss a beat.
https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/torontosun/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ts_eddieo0_49020222_qw-e1669754686363.jpg?quality="90&strip=all&w=576 2x" height="562" loading="lazy" src="https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/torontosun/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ts_eddieo0_49020222_qw-e1669754686363.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288" width="748"/>
“They’re all forwards who are a proven commodity in this league,” Olczyk said. “You’ll get your looks if your Mitch (because) you all think the same way. You need some luck in a streak, too. But I liked his post-game thoughts (after Monday’s win in Detroit), thanking his linemates.”
In his 3 1/2 years as a Leaf, Olczyk usually centred Gary Leeman and Mark Osborne.
“Ozzie and Gary knew what was going on out there, Ozzie with the grit and push back, Gary finding the soft areas to shoot, me doing a bit of everything to create and generate.
“It is an honour and a privilege to share this record with Sittler last 32 years. You look at a guy such as Jason Robertson on Dallas get up to 16 games in a row, but I always take notice whenever a Leaf gets up to 14-15-16. I’ll be working the Chicago-Edmonton game (Wednesday), but have my eye on Toronto-San Jose to see if he ties it.”
The ’89-90 Leafs set a club record 337 goals, with Olczyk setting up many of Leeman’s career high 51.
“Screamo was just one of three to get 50 for the Leafs until Matthews came along on his rocket ship. That was great to be part of history that way.”
Olczyk’s streak started with an assist on an Osborne goal in a 7-4 loss at Calgary and almost ended at 17 until he picked up two late helpers in an 8-6 win over Washington. Sittler was waiting on the phone hoping to congratulate Olczyk on a record the next game against the Islanders, but it was not to be.
“I set up Screamo, but he hit the post twice and I missed a great chance in front,” lamented Olczyk. “To make it worse, Glenn Healy, who became my teammate with the Rangers, was in net that night for the Isles. He’s never let me forget it.
“If Mitch sets the record, I know (Healy) will call me again. But I’ll just let it go to voice mail.”
Post a Comment