Marner sets career high for points in a season as Leafs pummel Canadiens

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner's three points in a 7-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night gave him a new career high of 98 in a single campaign.

Marner opened the scoring just over nine minutes into the game. He then notched the primary assist on John Tavares' tally around six minutes later to tie his previous personal best in the NHL, which he achieved last season. Marner buried his second goal of the contest - his 30th of the campaign - early in the second period for his 98th point of 2022-23.

Johnathan Kovacevic provided the Canadiens' lone goal less than three minutes into the second period.

Tavares added an insurance marker just over six minutes into the final frame, while William Nylander, Auston Matthews, and Michael Bunting netted the other Toronto tallies. Matthews also registered three assists, while both Ryan O'Reilly and Erik Gustafsson picked up three helpers apiece for the Maple Leafs.

University of Toronto goaltender Jett Alexander entered the game for the Leafs in the final minute. Toronto signed the 23-year-old to an amateur tryout contract before the game, and he backed up Ilya Samsonov, who turned aside all but one of 21 shots.

Marner, who turns 26 next month, set the career high in his 78th game of the season. He racked up 97 points across only 72 contests in 2021-22.

The winger is only the second member of the Maple Leafs ever to produce back-to-back 97-point seasons or better. Doug Gilmour did so when he amassed 127 in 1992-93 and then 111 in 1993-94.

Toronto further solidified its second-place standing in the Atlantic Division, improving to 47-21-11. The Leafs will round out their regular-season schedule on the road against the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and New York Rangers on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, respectively.

The Canadiens sit last in the Atlantic and are near the bottom of the league standings, falling to 31-43-6 with the defeat.