Recapping the final games of the group stage for the three Maple Leafs in action at the 2017 IIHF World Championships.
Mitch Marner
Switzerland 3 vs. Canada 2 (OT)
Mitch Marner remained on Canada’s top power play unit and on the kid line with Travis Konecny and Brayden Point at 5v5 versus Switzerland. He got it going early on the power play when he found Ryan O’Reilly in front of the net, where the Avalanche forward fought one past Jonas Hiller.
Just two minutes later, Marner received the puck in front of the net and attempted a backhand pass that went off the Swiss defender’s skate into the back of the net.
Opportunities were squandered by Canada throughout the rest of the game before 2013 Leafs draft pick, Fabrice Herzog, scored the OT winner to complete the upset.
Canada 5 vs. Norway 0
This was a dominant performance from the Canadians, who outshot Norway 48-10. Mitch Marner was dangerous throughout the game and his offensive skill was a standout feature. He was one of the key puck movers on their top power play unit and picked up a secondary assist on Colton Parayko’s power play goal after making a nice cross-ice pass to Nathan MacKinnon.
Canada 5 vs. Finland 2
Marner closed out group stage play with his best game of the tournament. He was other-worldly in this game, simply operating on another plane from the competition at times.
On his first goal, he pulled off a beautiful toe-drag move that made a Finnish defender stumble and then finished into the back of the net.
A couple minutes later, Marner set up Colton Parayko for a one-timer with a beautiful no-look backhand drop pass that led to a power play goal. Marner closed out the first period by scoring a second goal off of a rebound on the power play.
He went scoreless for the rest of the game, but Marner continued to be a persistent offensive threat throughout. He’s shown that he is not only one of the most exciting offensive players on the Leafs, he is also one of the most exciting offensive players in the world. For a player that didn’t finish his rookie season as well as he would’ve liked, this tournament has been exactly what the doctor ordered from a confidence perspective and it has seemed well worth Marner’s while.
With the group stage in the books, Marner is tied for sixth (along with William Nylander) in tournament points with 10 in seven games.
“He oozes hockey sense, confidence, and skill. You give him the puck in open ice and think he’s got one of three options, and then he invents option four, five and six. It’s impressive to watch him play and he’s deserved what’s coming to him. He’s worked hard and done everything we’ve asked of him, and he’s a really gifted player, especially around the net.”
– Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper on Mitch Marner
Marner and Team Canada will face off against the Germans in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
William Nylander
Sweden 8 vs. Italy 1
William Nylander spent this game on a line with Joel Eriksson Ek and William Karlsson. The Swedes put a licking on the Italians in this contest, outshooting them 45-15.
Nylander’s first point of the game came on a Philip Holm goal in the first period; he ripped a shot from the top of the left circle, and Holm was in the perfect spot to deposit the rebound into the back of the net.
Nylander’s second point came while fighting for the puck in front of the net; the puck bounced to Joel Eriksson Ek, who put Sweden up 7-1 in the third period.
Willy capped off his day with a third assist picked up late in the game in a scrum in front of the net that led to a John Klingberg goal.
Sweden 4 vs. Denmark 2
Team Sweden welcomed the additions of both Henrik Lundqvist and Nicklas Backstrom to the lineup for this game, which also meant new linemates for Nylander, who featured on a line with Backstrom and Oscar Lindberg. His talent was apparent in Sweden’s first few games, but — unsurprisingly — the addition of Backstrom’s elite vision/overall skill set made Nylander all that more effective.
On his first goal, John Klingberg saw Nylander cutting to the backdoor in front and wired a beautiful pass to Willy, who put a move on George Sorensen and tucked it in by his pad.
Nylander’s second goal of the day was highlight-reel calibre. He circled the offensive zone, drove the center lane and hit Backstrom with a soft pass in front that Backstrom fed back to him with a one-touch give-and-go pass. Nylander powered through the defenseman and put it past a diving Sorensen.
Nylander later collected a secondary assist Sweden’s fourth goal that helped seal the win, and was named Player of the Game for his efforts.
Sweden 4 vs. Slovakia 2
Nylander remained on a line with Lindberg and Backstrom for the final group stage game. The Nylander-Backstrom magic was effective early as Backstrom picked out a driving Nylander, who showed off his fast hands in tight with a quick backhand-forehand move before lifting the puck over the shoulder of Julius Hudacek. Nylander didn’t find his name on the scoresheet after that, but he continued to be an offensive threat.
After starting the tournament on a line with Carl Soderberg and William Karlsson, Sweden’s coaching staff soon realized that Nylander has more to offer alongside higher-end offensive players who can think and execute the game at Willy’s speed. Backstrom fits the bill, to say the least, and he has helped vault Nylander’s game to another level in this tournament.
Through the group stage, Nylander has five goals and 10 points in seven games, which places him tied for fourth in goals and sixth in points, and he’s tied for first in the tournament with a plus-eight.
Nylander and Team Sweden will take on the Swiss in the quarterfinal round on Thursday.
Miro Aaltonen
Finland 3 vs. Switzerland 2
Miro Aaltonen, returning to Finland’s lineup against after sitting out as a healthy scratch in the previous couple of games, played on the team’s second line with Joonas Kemppainen and Mika Pyorala. He put two shots on goal in 13:37 of ice time and was held pointless.
Canada 5 vs. Finland 2
Aaltonen dressed for this game on the same line with Kemppainen Mika Pyorala. He has seen his role diminish since the first game of the tournament, but he still received almost 14 minutes of ice time in this game. He put two shots on goal, took a high sticking penalty in the opening frame, and wasn’t able to find his way on the scoresheet for the fifth consecutive game.
It will be interesting to watch how Aaltonen fares at the Leafs training camp; he’s turning 24 in a few weeks and has ample experience competing against men, but — especially knowing there will be so few spots available up front — he’ll likely need time with the Marlies.
Finland will face the United States in the quarterfinal round on Thursday.
2017 IIHF World Championships - Leafs Player Tracker
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | Shots | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Nylander | 7 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 16 | 8 |
| Miro Aaltonen | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | -4 |
| Mitch Marner | 7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 4 |
