In a disjointed game that again featured lots of special teams play, the Toronto Marlies found a way to prevail over Syracuse for the second time this weekend.
Toronto now sits at 13-4-0 on the year and their current four-game winning streak is their longest of the season so far. With Sunday’s 3-1 win, the Marlies goals against average has dipped below two (33 goals against in 17 games) and their lead at the top of the North Division has increased to six points.
First Period
The two sides exchanged half chances in a fast-paced start to the game before the penalty parade got underway inside three minutes.
Toronto failed to convert on their first power play and relied on Calvin Pickard to deny Mathieu Joseph on a shorthanded breakaway.
With Andrew Nielsen the next man in the box, Toronto opened the scoring while shorthanded. Martin Marincin, pinching down the right side and around the back of the net, found Justin Holl in the left circle, where Holl was afforded the time and space to score his first of the season post-and-in past Louis Domingue.
The lead lasted only five minutes as Syracuse responded at the midway mark. Cory Conacher stripped Nielsen of the puck deep in the left corner before sending a pinpoint pass to the trailing Kevin Lynch arriving late at the back post unmarked. Lynch gave Pickard little chance from the slot to tie the game at 1-1.
Syracuse failed to take advantage of their second PP of the period, but they weren’t as wasteful as Toronto, who tested Domingue just once during 1:44 of 5-on-3 time. Overall, the Marlies mustered just eight shots in a period that included four Marlie power plays.
Second Period
The penalty count continued to pile up into the second period as four more players found their way to box inside the opening nine minutes.
Three power plays for Toronto resulted in just a couple of good looks for Kerby Rychel, who continues to struggle in front of goal. Domingue wasn’t seriously tested until five minutes remaining in the middle frame.
Marincin picked up possession in the slot and danced past a couple a defender before firing on net. There were rebound opportunities for rookie Adams Brooks and Jeremy Bracco, but neither could apply the finishing touch, with Brooks striking the post on the second opportunity.
Third Period
Pickard dealt with just 14 shots through the opening 40 minutes but had to be sharp as the Crunch began the third period with some jump.
The prospect of a Marlies game heading to overtime for the first time this season seemed to be in the cards until a goal from nowhere gave them the lead just before the eight-minute mark.
After a poor outlet pass from Syracuse was cut out by Kasperi Kapanen at the Crunch blue line, Kapanen shifted the puck to Andreas Johnsson, who found Miro Aaltonen to his right at the back post. All alone with just Domingue to beat, Aaltonen wired his shot past the goaltender blocker side.
Four minutes later, Aaltonen should have buried an insurance marker but failed to get hold of an attempted one-timer after a nice set-up from Johnsson and Kapanen. On the same play, a scramble in-front ensued, with Johnsson unfortunate to see his effort deflected wide.
Syracuse went to the final power play of the game inside the final six minutes but were unable to break down Toronto’s resilient penalty kill, which ranked second best in the league heading into the game.
With time winding down, Syracuse went for the extra attacker and applied a little pressure without ever over-working Pickard.
The Marlies‘ veterans saw out the win with 76 seconds remaining. On the right boards inside his own zone, Colin Greening worked tirelessly to out-battle two Crunch players before coming out with the puck and sliding a pass to Ben Smith.
It was the simplest of tasks for the Marlies‘ leading scorer to finish into the empty net, securing a fourth straight Toronto victory.
Post Game Notes
– Justin Holl’s marker was the third shorthanded goal Toronto has scored this season.
– Kasperi Kapanen picked up a lone assist in what was his 100th regular season appearance in the AHL. He’s up to seven points in nine outings after a three-point weekend.
– Calvin Pickard posted 23 saves for his fourth win in six games. He’s allowed just a single goal in each of his last three outings and his save percentage is now at .924. “He played very well for us,” said Sheldon Keefe. “Any chances that we gave up — and we didn’t give up a tonne — he was there for us. He moved the puck really well. Goaltending has been stable for us all season and it gives us a chance in every game.”
– Andreas Johnsson extended his points streak to four games with an assist on Miro Aaltonen’s goal (2-3-5).
– Timothy Liljegren missed his sixth consecutive game but has been on the ice skating on his own this past week, indicating his return might not be far away. “From what I’m told, he’s nearing toward joining us in practice in this league, so that’s a positive sign and a positive step toward getting back in the lineup,” said Keefe.
– Sunday’s lines:
Forwards
Johnsson-Aaltonen-Kapanen
Timashov-Mueller-Moore
Rychel-Gauthier-Smith
Greening-Brooks-Bracco
Defencemen
Dermott-LoVerde
Nielsen-Rosen
Marincin-Holl
Goaltenders
Pickard
Sparks
