No one said it would be easy: The Toronto Marlies will not complete a third consecutive sweep after seeing their 10-game winning streak come to a halt in Game 2 against Texas.
“It has been quite a while here [since we lost]. This is the way playoffs are supposed to be. They’re not supposed to be the way they have gone for us of late. You have to be able to deal with these types of things, and frankly, it’s expected.
Shift to shift, it’s real battle as to who is going to win that shift and gain control of the play. We haven’t felt that in quite some time, and we’re feeling that now. That’s the way it’s supposed to be and what you expect it to be. The best part of playoffs is being able to respond — dealing with the emotions and the highs and lows. It’s been nothing but highs for us of late. That’s not reality. We have a chance to respond now and I’m excited about it. The Game 5 against Utica was probably the most fun we’ve had as a team. Now we’ve got a chance to go out and respond again.”
– Sheldon Keefe on facing a bit of adversity
First Period
The Marlies played their best hockey of the series so far in the opening 20 minutes and were unlucky to come away with just the one goal to show for it.
Justin Dowling had the first chance of the game three minutes in, but Toronto took over from there with Colin Greening and Carl Grundstrom going close on tipped and wraparound efforts, respectively.
At the midway mark, Greening was again in the thick of the action as he stripped the puck and went in on goal, but Mike McKenna came up with a big save to keep the deadlock intact.
The shot count favoured Toronto 8-2 after a long-range effort from Calle Rosen was turned aside, and the Stars’ only really threat in the first 20 minutes came on a pair of rushes that followed. Sparks was forced into his first real action of the period, while Mason Marchment and Trevor Moore couldn’t convert on a prime scoring opportunity in tight at the other end.
Following a concerted spell of pressure in the Texas zone, the Dmytro Timashov – Chris Mueller – Ben Smith line worked tirelessly to keep the puck alive and were rewarded with the game’s opening goal. After Travis Dermott walked the blue line nicely with the puck to create a lane, his shot was tipped home in front by Smith.
It was no more than the Marlies deserved with two minutes remaining, and more dominant play led to the game’s first power play that carried over into the middle frame.
Second Period
Unfortunately, all the good work from the opening 20 minutes was undone quickly at the beginning of the second period. Toronto’s power play was hapless and the momentum gained saw Texas tie the game up on a defensive breakdown.
Dermott was guilty of missing his assignment — caught above his man and swinging at Dillon Heatherington’s stretch pass — and allowed Curtis McKenzie in on goal, where the Stars captain beat Sparks five-hole to make it a 1-1 game. That’s the second straight game the Marlies have given up an easy, avoidable breakaway in behind their defense for a goal against.
Things went from bad to worse at the five minute mark after Greening followed Frederik Gauthier into the box and the Marlies went down by two men for over 90 seconds.
Martin Marincin, Vincent LoVerde, Smith and Sparks produced an outstanding penalty killing effort to keep Texas off the board before the Marlies drew a penalty themselves back at even strength.
The momentum didn’t carry over, however, as the Marlies power play continued to lack much in the way of direction or ideas.
Greening, one of the brighter spots for Toronto offensively, saw back-to-back attempts at the midway point turned aside by a pair of sharp saves from McKenna.
A third Toronto power play resulted in just a lone effort from Pierre Engvall, while the Marlies penalty kill again had to hold steady to ensure the score was tied heading into the final frame.
Third Period
In a final frame that featured just nine shots total, a power play marker four minutes in proved to be the ultimate difference maker. That was following a debatable call on Vincent LoVerde from a group of officials who did not cover themselves in glory throughout the game.
A blast from Gavin Bayreuther from just inside the blue line wired its way through traffic and past an unsighted Sparks to put Texas ahead 2-1.
From that point on, the Stars were happy to play a negative brand of hockey, clogging up the neutral zone but ultimately out-working a Marlies team that seemed to lack ideas on how to break Texas down and at times was hesitant to make the simple play of getting pucks in behind and winning them back in deep.
Joel L’Esperance missed the opportunity for an insurance marker at the seven-minute mark following a turnover, while McKenna came up with a huge stop to rob Smith on a backhand attempt from the slot after a nice set-up from Chris Mueller.
Sparks denied Travis Morin and McKenzie on a rush back the other way before the Marlies goaltender was pulled for the extra attacker inside the final two minutes.
Struggling to gain the zone cleanly through a stacked Texas blue line, the Marlies threatened just once and it nearly forced overtime — a slap pass from Dmytro Timashov into the slot was redirected agonizingly wide of McKenna’s right post, and Texas held on for a well-deserved victory after thoroughly shutting down Toronto.
The series is now tied 1-1 with Game 3 at Cedar Park in Texas set for Tuesday night.
Post Game Notes
– The loss marks the end of Toronto’s perfect home record, snaps a 10-game winning streak, and is the first time the Marlies have failed to win when leading after 20 minutes. It was also the first time the Marlies have been held to fewer than two goals in a single game during the playoffs.
– The Marlies were held to just nine shots combined through the second and third period after recording 13 in the opening frame.
– The Marlies also lost the special teams battle for the second straight game. Toronto is now a combined 1-8 with the extra man, while Texas have scored three with the same number of opportunities.
– Ben Smith registered his sixth goal of the playoffs and is now tied for the team lead with Andreas Johnsson and Carl Grundstrom.
– Speaking of the top line, Johnsson, Aaltonen and Grundstrom were again invisible and the former looks a pale imitation of the player we’ve seen all season and playoffs. The Marlies’ best players will need to be a lot better in Texas if the Marlies are to have success on the road.
“It’s been a big part of why we’re here and why things have gone so smoothly to this point,” said Keefe. “If we’re going to get control of the series, we’re going to need those guys to be real good and for those guys to find a way through and to get to the net.”
– That said, there is certainly no reason to panic for the Marlies, who set a new AHL record with 30 road wins during the regular season and up until this point have bounced back well from a little bit of adversity.
– Texas owns a 7-1 record on home ice during the playoffs, giving up just 19 goals in the process. The Marlies are 4-2 on the road and have proven just as stingy with only 13 goals against. A defensive/goaltending battle like we saw in Game 2 might be more along the lines of the way this series is going to play out than the goals fest we saw in Game 1.
– Game 2 Lines:
Forwards
Johnsson-Aaltonen-Grundstrom
Timashov-Mueller-Smith
Engvall-Gauthier-Greening
Marchment-Brooks-Moore
Defensemen
Marincin-Holl
Rosen-LoVerde
Dermott-Liljegren
Goaltenders
Sparks
Pickard
