Winning Play: Marner outsmarts Sharks

John Hefti-USA TODAY SportsAt 6-foot-0, 175 pounds, playmaker Mitch Marner does not fit the traditional mold of a penalty killer.

But it’s a new NHL, where brains matter more than brawn, and it’s a modern Toronto Maple Leafs, where Marner (16) averages almost a minute a game on the kill. He’s already played more on the PK through 19 games this season (17:21) than he did in his first two years combined.

The San Jose Sharks power play was looking to break a 3-3 deadlock in the second period, when Marner’s smarts broke Kasperi Kapanen (24) free.

The Sharks had just gained the zone, hence net front regular Joe Pavelski (8) at an unfamiliar position on the right point. Instead of a predictable pass…