Patrick Marleau's irreplaceable experience for the Maple Leafs

TORONTO – Look only at Patrick Marleau's current numbers and, yes, you could have a case.

The seemingly indestructible hockey player, who still uses a two-piece stick and slips his 39-year-old feet into a pair of abandoned skates every night, ranks second in the Toronto Maple Leafs salary table, but only at the seventh place in scoring.

The first man on the ice and the last out of the locker room has five goals and nine badists. Respectable, no doubt, but the current pace of the striker allows him to be on the right track for his least productive season of the last 17 years.

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When the season started and Marleau took Zach Hyman's place on the front row, he did not hit the chemistry with center Auston Matthews on the ice.

He has since found a more moderate pace in the Nazem Kadri wing, bringing a decisive pbad and almost an escape attempt in Toronto's 4-2 win over Boston on Monday night.

But the segment of supporters who scream that Marleau is overpaid and that, in particular, the third year of his contract – when he will be 40 and that it will be difficult to buy him back and climb even higher in the book of NHL records – could hinder the image of the club cap, should understand why he is paid in the first place.

Mike Babbad, probably the only recruiter who could have moved Marleau away from San Jose during his summer vacations in the summer of 2017, was questioned on Monday about how Marleau contributed to the development of Mitch Marner, the league's top scorer. Matthews and Leafs. He cut off his interlocutor.

"You mean like [Kasperi Kapanen] and everyone you have not heard of? ", corrected Babbad." Like everyone else. Or any coach or trainer or anyone who would appear to be tired that day. Or, I mean, no matter who. It makes you a better human being flat by walking by your side.

"We can not replace that, especially with a young group. If you want to win, you must have people doing it every day. It's hard to do things right everyday. Imagine that you do it correctly every day, 82 times, where everyone watches you each time you make a sound, every time you do something, a microscope is installed all over you? He is so good. "

When Marleau skated (well, we could add) in his 1600th match on Monday and his wife, Christina, recorded his long standing ovation with his smartphone, the Bruins all hit their clubs, and the club surprised the player honoring the moment. Jumbotron, he joined an elite group consisting of Gordie Howe, Mark Messier, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, Mark Recchi, Chris Chelios, Dave Andreychuk, Scott Stevens, Larry Murphy, Ray Bourque, and so on.

"What 10 or 11 of all time? Doing it as long and with as much consistency and productivity as it has been is really remarkable, "said Tavares. "How he behaves, how he prepares himself, how he plays the game – this sets a good example for everyone. This really sets the tone in the locker room. You hope that some of these reactions rub against you against the heart, so you try to rub as much as possible, to choose your brain and to get to know it.

"Even though he's played so long, he's only one of the guys."

Frederik Andersen calls Marleau the most humble man he has met. Marner calls him GOAT. Matthews calls him in his hotel room to watch movies and spend time.

On the road's first road trip this season, when a group of kids almost from his career were jumping on scooters and down the streets of DC, Marleau buzzed with them.

"The energy they have every day is elusive, so I'm going to control it as much as possible," Marleau said. "Everyone is still trying to improve, and that's what I'm trying to do myself, so it's fun."

Logan Couture of San Jose is still in touch with Marleau. They had talked last season and Marleau would tell Couture how different the situation was in Toronto. Couture is not surprised by his full potential or success in Toronto, but the way he has become the quiet mentor in Toronto is changing his role.

"We're a more veteran team than them, there were not so many opportunities to take younger guys like that and show them a little, but he loved doing that," Couture says.

"He's a guy who's been in the league for 19 years and does a lot of good things. If you can take advantage of it, it will benefit you in the long run.

"He's still a very good player and he certainly will be in a few years, for sure."

Ironman has now played 733 consecutive games. He needs a second to think about the last serious injury he suffered. His idea of ​​seriousness might not be mine or yours. A broken hand in the playoffs. A torn meniscus that required surgery in 2001. But he laced these because of course he did it. Because extra stretching and a cold bath heal everything.

"I mean, genetics," said Babbad. "He worked very, very hard, he is an amazing skater, loves the monotony of the game. Great, great human being. You could continue again and again: lucky with injuries, all. Hard worker, great pro, great person. So important to this team, it's not even funny and I do not even talk about what it's doing on the ice. He is fantastic. "

If the old Reebok 9Ks manage the remaining 57 games this season and the remaining 82 of his contract for 2019-20, Marleau will get 1,739 games played, placing him third and only 29 of Gordie's record.

Imagine the ovation, because you do not have to be humble.

"These milestone nights," said Marleau after Monday's big day, "are much nicer when you get the two points."