Mitch Marner’s hat trick ruins McLellan’s Detroit debut

Maybe it wasn’t the coach that was the problem.

Turns out Todd McLellan can watch Mitch Marner perform against the Detroit Red Wings as well as any man in a suit.

And like the home team’s season, when Friday’s game was a third of the way through, it already felt over.

Thanks to Marner’s second career natural hat trick — both of which have occurred at Little Caesars Arena, home of Detroit’s dark ages — the Toronto Maple Leafs returned from the Christmas break and immediately jumped back into the win column, routing the Red Wings 5-2.

Marner’s 18 goals in 27 games against Detroit marks the most he’s scored against any NHL opponent, and the winger’s fourth three-point night ties him with Connor McDavid for sixth in all-time scoring (49 points).

With Marner picking up the slack and running Toronto’s offense, the Leafs improved to 8-4 in their captain’s absence.

Marner has multiple points in all eight of those Matthews-free wins, and 10 of Marner’s 13 goals this season have come when his main triggerman doesn’t suit up.

“His hockey sense is world class,” John Tavares told reporters. “Whether Auston is in or not, what Mitchy gives us and how he plays is incredible and we’re really lucky to have him.”

“They’ve got some real special players over there, four or five of them,” Patrick Kane said. “And they seem to be playing a more disciplined game as well.”

That discipline translated into clean breakouts and some sustained O-zone stretches that led to Marner’s two one-timers and smart, well-timed tips home.

Of Marner’s three goals, however, Tavares’ blind, between-the-legs, cross-fold, backhand pass was the prettiest of the bunch.

“He can do a lot of things,” Marner said. “That’s a great game by him there.”

The catch is that this was meant to be a proof-of-concept showcase for the Wings for McLellan.

“There’s always some kind of reaction when something like this happens,” Morgan Rielly had predicted before the game.

“The players will definitely impress the coach,” added Toronto coach Craig Berube. “It’s kind of a new deal on the hockey life.”

In Detroit, unfortunately, the new lease has about the same interest as the old one.

Steve Yzerman celebrates his six-year anniversary as GM this spring.

Since the Hall of Famer took over, the Red Wings have never won more games than they lost in a single season. The magnificent Little Caesars barn has never hosted a playoff game. Now Yzerman’s pack retire from 2023-24’s encouraging 91-point campaign.

Yzerman, who fired Derek Lalonde (89-86-23) on Boxing Day and replaced him with McLellan, is on his third and most expensive head coach. (McLellan was ousted midseason last winter and had been sitting at home getting paid $5.5 million not to coach the LA Kings.)

“Everybody’s frustrated,” Yzerman said. “You can see it on the players’ faces.”

You can also see it in the boss’s body language and feel it in his meandering answers during Friday’s 31-minute press conference. He is grasping for answers and now clings to the belief that his roster is more talented than it has shown under Lalonde.

So Yzerman — previously rumored to be interested in Jim Montgomery — turned to a coach he’s known since 2005. McLellan sat on Mike Babcock’s bench during Yzerman’s final season and was one of the most experienced options available .

“You start to sense the frustration, the will being taken away from everybody,” Yzerman said. “It felt like it was time to do it.”

In light of Auston Matthews’ continued absence, Rielly and Tavares both talked about the need for improved control and stronger starts — aspects of the Leafs’ game that had slipped while losing their last two games before Christmas.

“The energy should be back,” Berube said.

McLellan’s debut wasn’t two and a half minutes old and the Maple Leafs had already scored, making the new coach experience life as a Red Wing trying to play catch-up.

“The team can play harder,” McLellan said. “It just can.”

Marner’s hat trick created too much distance and a pair of late Red Wings strikes from Lucas Raymond and Simon Evinsson only extended the lead.

The Maple Leafs head home to face a healthy Alex Ovechkin and the rested and prepared Washington Capitals in a much stiffer test Saturday night.

• Despite taking advantage of the three-day layoff, Matthews will miss his fourth straight game (and 13th overall) Saturday against Washington as he deals with an undisclosed upper-body injury.

“He’s doing better,” Berube assures. “I can’t give you more than that, to be honest with you.”

One has to imagine the idea of ​​putting the captain on LTIR before the playoffs (à la Mark Stone or Nikita Kucherov) and maximizing cap flexibility and trade options is at least considered behind closed doors.

• A hard-fought game by the Maple Leafs defense.

Chris Tanev (back in action after missing the Dec. 23 loss to Winnipeg), Rielly, Simon Benoit and Jake McCabe (whose tooth fragments had to be retrieved from his mouth guard) all pushed through some painful shot blocks.

The Leafs shut out Detroit 17-9 and they will feel it.

• Max Pacioretty was honest about the value of getting three full days away from the hockey rink. The condensed schedule before Christmas took a toll on his 36-year-old muscles – and the NHL product in general.

“Definitely needed it. That schedule got hectic for our group and it definitely showed in our play,” Pacioretty said. “It was nice to relax and spend time with the family.

“It was clear that each team needed a little rest there. . . . We had played a lot of hockey.”

• Rielly has skated at least 85 five-on-five minutes with three different partners this season and at least 20 minutes with seven partners.

He won’t complain, but finding mating consistency is a recurring theme.

“I like to think I can take on as much responsibility as I’m given,” Rielly said. “And I expect myself to be able to handle any situation.”

• David Kämpf celebrated his 500th career NHL game with his first goal of the season.