Marner Has 18 Playoff Points. Most in the NHL. Nobody's Talking About It

Mitch Marner went between the legs one minute and two seconds into Game 6. Erik Karlsson hit him with a stretch pass that split two Anaheim defenders.

Marner finished it like he was pulling a Peter Forsberg highlight out of his back pocket.

Vegas scored three goals before the game was eight minutes old.

The Golden Knights never looked back.

Marner leads all postseason scorers with 18 points

Here's the thing though.

Marner has 18 points through 12 playoff games. Most in the NHL this postseason, per NHL.com stats. He's not just scoring. He's around every ugly bounce, every loose puck in the slot. His secondary assist on Brett Howden's short-handed goal meant Marner had a hand in all three first-period markers. One of those nights where everything he touches turns positive.

The Conn Smythe conversation needs to start happening.

Marner has 7 goals and 11 assists. If Vegas keeps rolling, he gets the hardware. Simple as that.

Howden ties an NHL record with his third short-handed goal of these playoffs. That ties a mark that hasn't been touched in over three decades, according to StatMuse. Derek Sanderson did it in 1969. Wayne Presley in 1989. Todd Marchant in 1997. Tobias Rieder in 2020. Six players total, nearly 60 years of history. Howden is the seventh now.

What's wild is the company he's keeping. Those other six came from completely different teams and systems. Vegas runs on depth. They don't lean on one guy or one style. Howden's eighth goal of the playoffs came on a play where Anaheim got caught scrambling in their own zone.

He buried it before anyone could recover.

The kid doesn't get enough credit. He's not a top-liner. He's not flashy. He flies under the radar next to Marner and the big names. But three short-handed goals in one playoff run isn't luck.

That's skill, positioning, and instincts all firing at once.

Hart gives Vegas exactly what they need

Hart made 31 saves on 32 shots in Game 6.

Several of those stops came in the second period when Anaheim tried to claw their way back in. Hart held the line when the Ducks were buzzing.

That matters more than the final scoreline suggests.

Vegas traded for him in the offseason because they needed a goalie who could handle playoff pressure. They've had good goaltending before — Marc-Andre Fleury was outstanding in their early runs. But Hart brings something separate. He moves well. He tracks pucks hard.

He doesn't rattle when the game gets physical.

Against Colorado, he'll need all of that and more.

The Avalanche can pour shots from everywhere. Their power play is lethal. Hart's performance in this series might determine whether Vegas makes the Cup Final or goes home wondering what happened.

Can Marner maintain his playoff scoring lead against Colorado?

Vegas reaches the conference final for the fourth time in nine seasons of existence. By any measure, that's a remarkable run for an expansion franchise.

The conference final against Colorado is another animal entirely. This is a team that won the Presidents' Trophy. The Avalanche had the best record in the league and they have the firepower to embarrass anyone on any given night. Game 1 goes Wednesday, May 20 at Ball Arena in Denver, per the Avs official schedule. The last time these two met in a playoff series was 2022, and it went seven games. This one has the potential to be even tighter.

Can Marner maintain his NHL playoff scoring lead against better competition? Will Howden's penalty kill unit hold against Colorado's power play? And will Hart outduel whoever Colorado throws at him?

The hockey world is about to find out.