It may not have been Ricoh ice, but a return to Toronto was all the Marlies needed to get back on track after some poor recent results.
Utica, visiting the ACC for a matinee encounter, entered the game looking like a team far removed from the pushover Comets group that Toronto beat in a pair of games to start the season. Having bolstered their roster, Vancouver’s affiliate won four straight in the buildup to this game, including a decisive victory in Rochester on Friday night.
First Period
There was a pair of firsts in the respective nets of these two teams in this game: Michael Garteig made his AHL debut between the pipes for Utica, while veteran Jeff Glass made his first appearance in Toronto’s net. The rookie saw far more action as the Marlies got on top of their opponents early and never relented.
Comets forward Borna Rendulic fired the first shot from the high slot but it bulged the wrong side of the netting as far as Rendulic was concerned.
Toronto’s first attempt on goal saw see them open the scoring with exactly 2:40 on the clock. Andreas Johnsson cut to the middle from the right side before sliding a reverse pass to Colin Smith. As Smith drove to the right of the cage, he was able to draw Garteig away from his net and slide a feed back into the crease for Tobias Lindberg to put home.
Jeff Glass wasn’t called on until four minutes after the Marlies‘ first strike. He responded well to turn aside Carter Bancks, who had settled down a floated pass and beaten two Toronto players before firing on net.
Brendan Leipsic should really have doubled the lead on two quick opportunities, especially the first, as Garteig was down and out but defenseman Colby Rabak made a sliding save to prevent Toronto’s left winger from finishing into the empty net.
The fans at the ACC only had to wait until twelfth-minute mark for the second goal to arrive. Milan Michalek was the architect, marauding his way toward net and leaving Comets players behind in his wake. The veteran forward looked certain to score but fanned on his shot; with Garteig committed to making a save on a shot which never came, however, Trevor Moore followed up and put away his third goal of the season.
There were a few late-period chances for Utica, who came to rue their missed opportunities. Michael Carcone fired high of the target after benefitting from a turnover inside the Marlies zone. Rendulic then danced around Andrew Nielsen with ease, headed to the net and looked to have created an opening before he was blocked off by an excellent backcheck from Colin Smith.
Glass was called on to make two final saves inside the last 30 seconds during a scramble in front of him, although Toronto drew a penalty when they were finally able to clear their zone. It proved to be the first of four penalties drawn by the Marlies in a twelve-minute span as the Comets failed to cope with relentless pressure from the home team.
Second Period
The Marlies failed to tally on the powerplay that carried over into the middle frame, but they came close at even strength on several occasions. Kasperi Kapanen tee’d up Byron Froese in the slot but his effort forced a fine pad save out of the rookie Comets netminder.
Leipsic tormented Utica throughout with his speed and skill, forcing Garteig into another good stop before a panicking Comets defenseman sent the puck over the glass, putting his team back on the penalty kill.
On the resulting powerplay, Leipsic, Nielsen, Rychel and Lindberg were all denied while Johnsson should have done better with a clear sight of goal from the slot.
Kapanen and Nielsen drew another two consecutive penalties to send Toronto on a two-man advantage, leading to the third goal. Sharp puck movement saw Kapanen and Smith turn provider for Leipsic, who grabbed his second powerplay goal of the season.
After squandering a three-goal advantage Friday evening in Syracuse, Toronto needed to be wary of any complacency with the lead. A turnover in their own zone presented Bancks with the puck once more, but Glass was equal to the top shelf, short-side attempt.
Toronto thought they had a fourth goal but the officials ruled that Rychel redirected Andrew Campbell’s shot with a high stick. 20 seconds later, Leipsic went on a partial breakaway but was unable to get much on his backhand effort.
Casey Hamilton drew a penalty from Tobias Lindberg and forced a fine save from Glass with four minutes remaining in the middle frame. Glass was called upon to make the majority of his nine second-period saves from this point on, and Toronto killed Utica’s first powerplay opportunity.
The Comets thought they had put themselves on the board with 21 seconds left on the clock. Old hand Pascal Pelletier found Jake Virtanen to the left of the crease, but Glass denied him with an out-stretched right pad to preserve the 3-0 lead through 40 minutes.
Third Period
The second intermission no doubt featured the Marlies coaching staff reiterating the need for a 60-minute performance after just one win and some forfeited leads in the last five games. It was encouraging, then, that Toronto remained dominant when play resumed.
The line of Rychel-Greening-Kapanen set the tone and Greening was inches away from scoring on a jam attempt past the left pad of Utica’s goaltender.
The Marlies should really have ensured a shutout for their debutant goaltender but a pair of errors led to the visitors getting themselves on the board. Toronto took a too-many-men penalty while on a powerplay of their own, giving the Comets the extra man for 75 seconds.
Cody Kunyk snuck in behind the Marlies defense and scored with a deft finish after receiving a pass by Subban sent from just inside the blue line. There may have been some nerves among the home crowd but not on the bench as Toronto restored their three-goal cushion a little over two minutes later.
Rychel won the battle behind the net before leaving the puck there for Johnsson to gain possession. The Swedish winger came out around the left side of the net and put a pass on the tape of Smith in the slot. Smith made no mistake, putting the game out of reach at 4-1.
There was still eight minutes remaining after the Marlies’ fourth goal but Toronto never looked in real danger of relinquishing their advantage. Glass had to make one more fine save to turn aside a shorthanded rush opportunity for Darren Archibald, while Michalek came the closest to adding to the lead.
A crowd of 8,702 enjoyed their first taste of Marlies hockey at the ACC this season. It was a deserved two points for a team that responded well after a tough week.
Post Game Notes
– Toronto improved to 7-1-0-0 on home ice.
– Colin Smith failed to record a single point in his last six outings before this game. A goal and two primary assists should provide the centerman with some much-needed confidence going forward.
– Andreas Johnsson broke his five-game slump with a pair of points. He frustratingly continues to miss the net when presented with good scoring chances, but it‘s of some comfort he‘s still finding those positions and opportunities on the ice.
– Brendan Leipsic continued his offensive production with his sixth goal of the season, taking his seasonal point tally to 22.
– A two-point game (1g, 1a) for Tobias Lindberg, who has found some early chemistry alongside new partners Johnsson and Smith. He appears to be firing on all cylinders now after an injury forced him out of two games last weekend.
– Colin Greening centered a new line alongside Rychel and Kapanen. The veteran forward fired a team-high five shots and was unlucky to add to his season’s tally.
– Jeff Glass made a strong debut performance considering he hasn’t seen regular season action since February 16 over in the KHL. He made 22 saves in all and was helped out by a strong defensive outing from Toronto in general.
– Garret Sparks was not on the bench (Antoine Bibeau was the back-up) despite being the expected starter. It’s since been confirmed that Sparks has been suspended indefinitely by the Toronto Maple Leafs for violating team policy.
Game Highlights
Sheldon Keefe Post Game
Marlies 4 vs. Comets 1 – Game Sheet
| SKATER | POS | G | A | PIM | Shots | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell, Andrew | D | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Valiev, Rinat | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Holl, Justin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Loov, Viktor | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nielsen, Andrew | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Wrenn, William | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Smith, Colin | C | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Froese, Byron | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Johnsson, Andreas | LW | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Michalek, Milan | LW | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Leipsic, Brendan | LW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Laich, Brooks | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Kapanen, Kasperi | RW | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Rychel, Kerby | LW | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Lindberg, Tobias | LW | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Greening, Colin | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Timashov, Dmytro | LW | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Moore, Trevor | LW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
