Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella, who took over the bench late in the regular season, defended his star player against historical playoff criticism.
"I think he's hell of a hockey player. I think he's very confident in what he brings.
People give him s--- all the time about playoffs and this and that. I don't think it bothers him a lick.
He just plays," he said.
Media commentators remain split on whether Marner's run vindicates the player or punishes his former fan base.
"People are just idiots these days. They seem to have this hatred and vitriol towards Marner," O'Neill said.
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"But I'd love to see the kid win the Stanley Cup."
Sean McIndoe, founder of Down Goes Brown, suggested that a separation between the player and Toronto was inevitable regardless of the current outcome.
"I know there have been people out there that seem to want to make this a negative story for Leafs fans.
Like, maybe this is the comeuppance for this terrible fanbase that drove this poor innocent kid out of town," said Sean McIndoe, who founded the Leafs-centric blog Down Goes Brown before joining The Athletic.
"But it was nine years. The reality is it was never going to happen for him in Toronto."
Marner sparked additional discussion on Sunday night when discussing the resilience of the veteran Vegas roster after erasing Colorado's early lead.
"We have an older group that just stays patient and stays calm," Marner said to the scrum of thirty-some media members.
