Mitch Marner being torched for giving up on a puck race to avoid a hit

Mitch Marner chose to avoid taking a hit from Charlie McAvoy in Game 2 to keep the puck in the Bruins' zone and now he's being char-broiled for it.

On the very first shift of the third period in Game 2, the Toronto Maple Leafs were in the Boston Bruins' zone on a forecheck. The puck was wrapped around to the far side of the ice where Marner gave chase. Marner could have easily gotten to the loose puck, but made what many call a "business decision" and chose to avoid the oncoming Charlie McAvoy and hit, instead skating around McAvoy to try to make a play.

Former NHLer and ex-Toronto Marlie Jordan Schmaltz posted the clip to Twitter/X saying that he used to do it himself the odd time.





Last postseason, it was William Nylander who came under fire for doing something similar against the Tampa Bay Lightning:


The lack of compete at times from the Leafs is why they struggle so much in the playoffs. Hopefully this is something that is brought up by Sheldon Keefe and the rest of the coaching staff to Marner ahead of Game 3 on Wednesday in Toronto.