Mitch Marner was held off the scoresheet for the first time in 24 games as the Toronto Maple Leafs lost 3-1 to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
Marner's scorching run set a new Maple Leafs franchise record, eclipsing the 18-game point streak previously held by Darryl Sittler and Eddie Olczyk.
"Sometimes stuff doesn't go right for you and for the team," Marner said, per Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star. "Streaks are going to end eventually. I knew that. So it's not like I'm mad about it. I knew it was coming to an end eventually. It's hard to get points in this league. It's why it's the best league in the world."
Over the last 30 years, only three players have managed longer streaks than Marner's: Mats Sundin (30) in 1992-93, Patrick Kane (26) in 2015-16, and Sidney Crosby (25) in 2010-11.
Marner collected 32 points - 11 goals and 21 assists - while averaging nearly 21 minutes per contest during that stretch. He couldn't break through with three shots on net over 22:38 of ice time Thursday.
"We all would have loved for it to continue," captain and linemate John Tavares said. "It was a hell of a run. Obviously, I didn't want to see it end, but at the same time, even though it has, it's still extremely impressive."
The defeat also signaled the end of Toronto's 15-game point streak. The Maple Leafs went 12-0-3 after losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 11. They fell one game short of matching a franchise record for games without losing in regulation.
