The dream is over for Mitch Marner after being defeated in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final which means his story about dark times is about to be buried forever.
The Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup Champions after winning Game 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0. It ended Mitch Marner's Stanley Cup hopes and he was once again unable to put the team on his back when it mattered most and now his 'dark times' story is bound to stay buried forever.
The Hurricanes picked up their first Stanley Cup since the 2005-2006 season and it was Rod Brind'Amour leading the way, this time as head coach. Jordan Stall picked up the Conn Smythe - the oldest to ever do so - and Carolina cemented themselves as the dominant force this postseason, finishing with a 16-3 record.
The Hurricanes blew away the Golden Knights in Game 6 and Marner was nowhere to be found
But it was Vegas' inability to get anything going that is really the big story here. For a team filled with so much firepower, they shot blanks when it mattered most. Marner, along with Jack Eichel, Pavel Dorofeyev, Mark Stone, Tomas Hertl and Ivan Barbashev went a combined minus-7 with 18 shots.
All credit to Brandon Bussi for shutting the door, but Marner's dominant postseason may have given Vegas false hopes that he can pull them through the toughest times.
Marner himself was a minus-3 and over his last three games (all losses) he had only one assist, a minus-5, four shots - hardly the stat line you expect from the postseason points leader. But it was once again those critical Games 5-7 where he didn't show up.
Marner really has no excuse right now and can't fall back on his previous failures and point to Vegas as a success. Sure, he had more points than ever and looked legitimately dangerous but that never came to fruition in the end. He didn't get the Cup, he didn't exorcise his playoff demons, and regardless of if he made the Cup Final or not; he's still the bridesmaid and not the bride.
Marner's 'dark times' story was to be revealed if Vegas won, and now it seems it will be buried forever
But it's Marner's tale of 'dark times' that had many fans wondering exactly what he meant. The fact he said he would only deliver on the story if he won the Cup this year means that it's likely the end of that chapter for good.
One can speculate as to what Marner was referring to, though we've heard reports about him potentially feeling uncomfortable while living in Toronto. While nothing has been proven, we had to take Marner at his word even if we didn't really agree with it.
If it was something genuinely serious that was regarding his health, safety, or well-being then it wouldn't be a matter of hiding it, but actively getting the proper authorities involved. This story would have already been news had it been that serious, and Marner likely wouldn't have been staying in town so long if it was either.
Otherwise, it just sounds like a bit of a jaded player who wants to spill the beans on what happened in Toronto that led to his departure.
Besides, what's the incentive? Marner wins a Cup then gets to rub it in? What difference does it make that he tells the story now as opposed to winning? If anything, him losing now should motivate him to say it because he can frame it as 'This was as close as I've been, and while we lost, it's better than Toronto' and segue into why.
Whatever the case is, at least we know that Marner's secret is going to stay buried. Maybe that's a good thing, maybe that's a bad thing. But honestly at this point, it's best we all move past this and leave things buried for good - for everyone's sanity.
Will Mitch Marner ever win a Stanley Cup?
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