Mitch Marner makes Maple Leafs miserable as Golden Knights pull off the unthinkable

Mitch Marner is heading to the Stanley Cup Finals.

A year ago at this time, he was still a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, although the clock certainly seemed to be ticking toward his departure.

They eventually negotiated a sign-and-trade that sent Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights, and he has looked right at home in the desert.

Marner leads the entire NHL with 21 points so far in these playoffs, a much more potent output than he ever had in a Toronto uniform.

Sure, there's plenty to be analyzed about why Marner might be playing better in the postseason now, but that's not even really the point.

Marner showed intense emotion at the conclusion of Tuesday night's clinching Western Conference Finals game, and it's because he's finally heading to a stage he'd been seeking for so long.

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This series win by the Golden Knights was totally unexpected, too.

They were facing off with the Colorado Avalanche, who were the class of the Western Conference all season long.

Certainly, if Vegas was going to have a chance, it'd be a long, grueling series, right? Well, maybe not.

The Golden Knights swept it. No one saw that coming.

But with Marner on their side, Vegas has been imposing the entire postseason. At this point, they only need four more wins to lift the Cup.

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