When Martin Marincin was seven years old, he was a defenceman who switched to forward. And when he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs last year, he switched his jersey number – to No. 52, from No. 85.



“I’ve always liked Mike Green,” Marincin said of the offence-minded defenceman who wore that number in Washington. “That’s why I wear 52, I’ve always been a fan of the way he plays the game.”



He may be cast as a defensive defenceman, but Marincin has yearned for points.



And now, in his second season with the Leafs, the 24-year-old is on an unexpected roll.



Marincin has a goal and three assists in his last five games. That may not sound like much, but Marincin has never had more than seven points in an NHL season. Comparatively speaking, then, he has been on fire.



He played arguably his best game of the season on Saturday night, in a shootout loss to Vancouver. He was smart with the puck and strong...