The #1 Marner issu is when he thinking too much. East-West keefe system where the majority of scoring chance was coming off the rush, he was looking too much all the time how he could pass the puck and exemple in 2v1 with JT, he would certainly try to find every way to pass it to tavares... tonight he just keep it simple, he saw an opportunity and he jump on it. Keep it simple, goes to the net and take your chance...
... And chance off the rush is not really Marner strenght, its more Nylander strenght so that why i had more doubt about Nylander under Berube than Marner but it's an other story ( and both doing good job this season)
Marner always had great work ethic, defensive 1st mind and why whatever if it was Babcock, Keefe or Berube... Marner always been #1 player they trust in any kind of situation whatever what. The difference right now is he react to the game unstead or thinking about what he should do. If he can translate it on the playoff, he will be amaizing
The #1 Marner issue is he doesn't have an NHL shot. When there's no space out there to make passes, he becomes useless.
The #2 Marner issue is his cap hit. We can't afford a player making 12M that is useless out there without space because he never bothered to develop his shot in his entire hockey career. Generally players with Marner's talent put up 40 goals easily. Almost all the good passers can score... except Marner. Marner unfortunately has the Thornton gene of no shot, and we know how that worked out for Thornton in the playoffs - similar stats to Marner.
All the other good passers have scoring ability. That makes their passing game even better because you got to respect the shot. With Marner, teams dare him to shoot. Even Edmonton was giving him the open slot for the shot on the PP tonight and he kept trying to pass it through.
Good teams (playoff teams) will take the 5% chance he beats the goalie clean on a shot over the risk of the cross crease pass for him to find the open man - so they give him space and then block the passing lanes. He develops his shot and he's a way bigger threat, and more in line with his cap hit - like Kucherov, Point, McDavid, Rantanen, Draisaitl, Nylander, Matthews, Aho etc. All of those players can pass AND shoot.