'I'm a lucky guy': Marner brings new dad energy to Leafs Game 1 lineup

The Maple Leafs (optional) and Florida Panthers skated at Scotiabank Arena on Monday. 

Mitch Marner and his wife Stephanie welcomed their first child – a son named Miles Daniel Marner – on Sunday morning. Father and son share the same initials and, apparently, already have something else in common. 

Marner is known for his high hockey IQ and pointed out his son showed some good hockey sense in delaying his arrival until after the Leafs wrapped up their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators. 

"Family always comes first so if something happened during that series or during a hockey game with my wife going into labour, I was going to go and join her," Marner revealed after Toronto's optional skate. "Lucky enough, it didn't happen. My son was smart enough to know that [you] don't come on a hockey day."

Marner smiled. There were plenty of smiles throughout his six-minute media session. Toronto's second round series against the Florida Panthers starts on Monday night, but most of the questions fielded by Marner surrounded his growing family. 

"A really special moment," he said. "My wife was an absolute beast through it all. She was so impressive to watch. [Impressive] what a woman's body can do, how much strength they have. It was incredibly impressive to sit there and watch and just be her cheerleader for two days. It was something really special to watch and be a part of. I'm a lucky guy for sure."

After missing Sunday's practice, Marner hit the ice for a skills session with Auston Matthews, Max Domi and player development staffer Patrick O'Sullivan on Monday morning. 

Marner recorded eight points in six games in the first round and the Leafs will be relying on the top-line winger to keep on producing in this series against the stingy Panthers. 

"It does help with a reset with having a son and relaxing in that way," Marner said. "But, yeah, it's a different game now, it's a different page, another series, another team. You got to just get completely ready for a new challenge."

Marner is also starting a new year in a way. Monday is his 28th birthday. 

"It's been a pretty special birthday with everything going on in the last 24, 48 hours," Marner said. "I'm just going to try to go out there and play some hockey."

This is a pressure-packed moment for the Leafs and their core, but Marner seemed almost serene on Monday morning.

"I'm happy for him," said defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who welcomed his first child into the world right before the playoffs started last year. "Can just speak for myself, but it helped me just get away from the hockey in between games. It's not a bad thing."

Ekman-Larsson picked up a pair of assists in his first game as a dad. He went on to play a significant role in Florida's run to the Stanley Cup. 

"It's not on the pre-scout board," said Panthers coach Paul Maurice with a grin. "'Hey, watch the new dads.' But we've had a whole bunch [of players with babies] this year and there's certainly a lightness when they come to the rink. That perspective does change ... It changes everything in such a positive way."

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The Panthers are considered the favourites in the series, according to oddsmakers. That's fine by the Leafs. 

"Anytime you're playing the Cup champions, you're going to be the underdog," said coach Craig Berube. "They've proven they're a great team over the last few years. They're a very good team. We're a good team too."

What does Matthew Tkachuk think about Florida being the favourites? 

"I don't think we are," the Panthers winger shot back. "I mean, we're on the road here to start. They obviously had a better year than we did. So, we'll relish that [underdog] role and hopefully come out with a good start."

The Leafs finished first in the Atlantic Division with 108 points. The Panthers came in third with 98, despite Tkachuk missing the end of the regular season after sustaining a groin injury during February's 4 Nations Face-Off.

The Panthers are 18-8 on the road since the start of the 2023 playoffs, including winning all three road games in Tampa in the first round this year. 

"Just starting on the road gives us an opportunity to get with each other quick and get together and that us-against-the-world mentality that we've talked about for a few years now," Tkachuk said. "It seems like when we go up against the toughest tasks and the great teams, we seem to relish that opportunity. So, hopefully we can do that again tonight, in this series, because Toronto is one of the best teams in the league." 

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This is a rematch of a second-round series in 2023 when the Panthers stole the first two games in Toronto and ultimately advanced in five games. 

The Leafs have switched coaches since then with Berube replacing Sheldon Keefe this season. 

"There's more patience in their game," Maurice observed. "Maybe in the past it was an attack mindset kind of offensively all the time and now they're more patient. They'll put more pucks deep. They'll be more patient with the pucks [getting] out. So, a bit, I would say, more of a mature game."

The Panthers are similar despite some personnel changes. But, if anything, they are now even more confident in their game having won eight of nine playoff series. 

"In your face a lot, just with their pressure," said Marner. "Makes you make plays in a quick hurry and under a second, so we got to make sure we're supporting each other all over the ice. Talking to one another when our backs are turned, just trying to figure out where to put pucks and plays. Stay patient with our game. It's going to be a really tight-checking series. This team has done some incredible things the last two years, so that's why they bring such a challenge to every team."

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Projected Leafs lineup for Game 1 based on Sunday's practice: 

Knies - Matthews - Marner 
Pacioretty - Tavares - Nylander
Lorentz - Laughton - Jarnkrok
McMann - Domi - Holmberg

McCabe - Tanev
Rielly - Carlo
Benoit - Ekman-Larsson

Stolarz starts 
Woll

Lines at Panthers skate on Monday: 

Verhaeghe - Barkov - Reinhart
Rodrigues - Bennett - Tkachuk
Luostarinen - Lundell - Marchand
Greer - Sturm - Boqvist

Forsling - Jones
Mikkola - Kulikov
Balinskis - Schmidt

Bobrovksky
Vanecek