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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Maple Leafs practised at the MasterCard Centre on Wednesday. The Bruins practised at the Air Canada Centre. 

Nobody has torched the Bruins this season like Mitch Marner. He picked up two assists in Game 3 on Monday and now has four points in the first-round playoff series. The diminutive winger had nine points in four games against Boston in the regular season, which was more than anyone else in the NHL. 

“He’s been the most dangerous player against us,” said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “I like his will. He’s got a lot of second effort. I mean, in Boston Kevan Miller hit him, Tim Schaller (hit him), I thought good clean hits and he kept coming back so the kid’s obviously very competitive."

Marner has always had that competitive nature, but didn’t have any breakout performances in last year’s playoffs when he had a goal and three assists in six games against Washington. Fast forward to this spring and the 20-year-old has emerged as a trusted member of Toronto’s matchup line playing against Boston's top line in Game 3. 

“He’s way stronger,” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock noted. “One of the most impressive plays in the game, I don't know if you remember, in the O-zone he was one-on-one with (Patrice) Bergeron on the boards and (Brad) Marchand came in and he managed to (beat) both of them and get the puck. He's stronger. Last year at this time he was injured, didn't have his confidence and wasn't as good.”

"We're on him a lot about his diet," said defenceman Morgan Rielly with a smile. "But he's extremely motivated to get better and better. Part of being a good player in his league is strength and when you look at him now he's really come a long way."

Marner had the difficult task of trying to slow down Bergeron, Marchand and David Pastrnak in Game 3 while playing alongside a new centre in Tomas Plekanec. In the more than 12 minutes Marner played against Bergeron at even strength, the scoring chances favoured Boston by the slimmest of margins (7-6). More importantly, Boston’s top line was held off the scoresheet and Marner was still able to produce.

His ability to receive a stretch pass from Rielly and settle the puck before setting up the first Patrick Marleau goal of the night had his teammates gushing. 

"It's incredible," Rielly said. “I mean, Mitchy’s got a very high level of skill and he works on this stuff during the off-season, he works on it in practice so you know it’s not a fluke. It’s something he’s been working on for a long time.”

“It’s kind of a bit of a hope play,” Marner said humbly. “Obviously, bounces need to go your way, but I kind of saw Mo have a little time and space, obviously knowing how good of a defenceman he is and how aware he is of the play on the ice, kind of just took off hoping the puck would get through and it did.”

Marner’s modesty isn’t about to fool the Bruins.

“He seems to see everything going on and the game slows down for him," said Cassidy. "I don’t enjoy playing against him, because he’s a good player, but I enjoy watching him play the game. He’s just willing to get the puck, wants the puck. I don’t coach him, but I assume he’s in the dressing room and he wants that puck. That’s what it seems to me.”

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The only thing Marner is struggling with in the playoffs is his facial hair. As expected, his playoff beard has been underwhelming. 

"Everyone is all like, 'My face is itchy,' and all this stuff and I'm just kind of sitting there,” he said with a weak smile. “I don’t know. I can feel it on my chin. If you get good lighting you can kind of see it. It's kind of gross. I got buddies and teammates chirping, making fun.”

Babcock expects big things from relaxed Matthews

Babcock urged his young stars to stay off social media after a lacklustre effort in the first two games of the series in Boston. Did any of the keyboard critics get to Auston Matthews

“We’re all on social media so you can stay away from it as much as you want, but it’s always going to be there,” Matthews said with a shrug. “I don’t know. Lots of times it’s just people, you don’t even know them, in their basements. And, for myself personally, I didn’t play the way I wanted to in Game 1. I thought I was better in Game 2 and didn’t capitalize on opportunities, didn’t score. And, obviously, a big weight off my chest to finally be able to produce and help the team win.”

The Matthews goal in Game 3 electrified the Air Canada Centre and had fans chanting his name. What's it like to hear that? 

“It’s pretty special,” he said. "It’s kind of a feeling you can’t really describe.”

William Nylander set up the Matthews goal in the second period on Monday night. It was the first point for both players in the series and stood up as the game-deciding play. 

“Confidence-wise its massive,” said Marner. “I mean, I think everyone saw it, Mats scoring that goal was a relief for him, but also a relief for our bench, the whole Toronto fan base. That goal was massive for our team.”

What'd Babcock like about his top line's effort in Game 3? 

“I thought Willie skated real good,” Babcock observed. “I thought Auston got the weight of the world off his back. I thought [Zach Hyman] was like Hyms is every day. That line can get to a whole other level for us though. I think they'll be way better.”

The Matthews goal came with the Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy defence pairing on the bench. But even on the road, Cassidy was able to get his desired duo on the ice against Matthews most of the time. And getting around Chara hasn’t been easy. 

"You think you have a step on him and he’s obviously got that reach so you got to try and keep the puck really protected and, especially in the offensive zone, move on first possession and create as much space away from them as possible,” Matthews said. 

McAvoy and Matthews are close from their days together with the U.S. National Development Program. But that friendship is on hold as evidenced on Monday when Matthews got in the face of the Bruins defenceman after McAvoy knocked down Hyman. 

"It’s the playoffs – stuff like that’s going to happen and sometimes you have to hold other guys accountable even if they're your buddies from the past," Matthews said. "It doesn’t matter, you have to go out and play hockey and stick up for your guys.”

McAvoy gets it.

“You have that responsibility to go and defend your teammate, so that’s all he’s doing,” McAvoy said. “He’s playing hockey, I’m playing hockey, too. No friends this series, there’s too much on the line for that right now.

“It’s our job over here to frustrate him and I’m going to continue to try and do my best to limit his opportunities and frustrate him as best I can, because that’s going to be the recipe for success against that line.”

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Rielly was among the Leafs players who bounced back in a big way on Monday. After missing the playoffs in his first three NHL seasons, the defenceman is revelling in this opportunity. 

"You do want to play playoff hockey every year," he said. "When you're a young guy, 20-, 21-years-old and you go home early and you watch players playing in the playoffs that are younger than you it's not a good feeling. So, to be here now and to be on a team that's motivated each year to make the playoffs and go far, it's a lot more fun."

Considering how much the 24-year-old values this chance, was Rielly angry about his performance in Games 1 and 2? Did he take it personally? 

"It was a group thing," he said. "When you look at the score of the games, we were all not happy with it and you take it personally. But, you know, when 20 guys take it personally it can make a difference."

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Leafs left winger Leo Komarov missed Wednesday's practice (personal day) and won’t play in Game 4, per Babcock. 

Bruins defenceman Matt Grzelcyk (lower body) practised and there’s “a good chance” the rookie will return to Boston’s lineup on Thursday, per Cassidy.

Lines at Leafs practice:

Forwards
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Plekanec-Marner
van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Brown 
Johnsson-Moore-Kapanen
Leivo, Kadri 

Defencemen
Rielly-Hainsey 
Gardiner-Zaitsev 
Dermott-Polak 
Martin-Carrick 

Goaltenders
Andersen
McElhinney 

Lines at Bruins practice:

Forwards
Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
DeBrusk-Krejci-Rick Nash
Heinen-Riley Nash-Backes
Schaller-Kuraly-Acciari
Donato-Gionta-Wingels

Defencemen
Chara-McAvoy
Krug-Miller
Grzelcyk -McQuaid
Holden

Goaltenders
Rask
Khudobin