The Toronto Marlies didn’t bring their A game in this outing, but they also found themselves on the wrong end of some key officiating decisions.
Dennis Hildeby’s performance in his AHL season debut and the outstanding penalty kill ensured the Marlies took a point from the first game of the Royal road trip.
“I thought the effort was good. There wasn’t much room out there. It was good to get three out of four points this weekend.”
– John Gruden
First Period
Belleville’s strong forecheck and cycle game overpowered Toronto for the opening first 20 minutes. The Marlies defended well and limited the Senators to one high-quality scoring chance; Dennis Hildeby produced a huge save on Angus Crookshank inside five minutes.
After hanging tough for long periods, it appeared Toronto took the lead with 1:12 remaining when Alex Steeves redirected a point shot from the slot. The call on the ice was a goal, but after a long debate, the four officials somehow decided that Steeves was guilty of a high stick, and the goal was waved off.
After watching the replay several times, it appeared the Belleville player parked between Steeves and the incoming shot had his stick up high while the Marlies forward barely raised his stick. Regardless of my views on the matter, it was a boneheaded decision by the officials to overrule the initial call without conclusive evidence (AHL rules dictate that video cannot be used in such cases).
15 seconds later, the Senators were credited with the game’s opening goal. Filip Roos’ shot was redirected by Jan Jenik, giving Hildeby no chance.
Second Period
Toronto did not dwell on their misfortune during the intermission and began to turn the tide in the middle frame.
Jacob Quillan came close less than 90 seconds into the period, but the Marlies didn’t have to wait for a tying goal for long. Steeves buried a low one-time shot from the top of the right circle at the five-minute mark, and his exuberant celebration released some of the earlier frustration.
The goal went straight to the legs of the Marlies, who almost scored from the restart. The third line of Grebenkin – Paré – Tverberg combined to tee up Cade Webber, but the rookie defenseman couldn’t find the telling finish in tight.
Nick Abruzzese (x2) and Alex Nylander both went close to scoring a go-ahead goal, as did Steeves, but a combination of good goaltending and no puck luck kept Toronto at bay.
The tide then turned against the Marlies due to some questionable calls. Quillan’s high-sticking penalty was a 50/50 call, given the circumstances, but Topi Niemelä’s interference infraction was laughable. It allowed the Senators to build momentum and create some grade-A scoring chances.
Hildeby continued to excel, making three top-notch saves on the first PK. He followed it up with more key saves on the second kill, especially during two frantic scrambles in his crease.
The goaltender was visibly upset by the lack of protection afforded by the officials during the second power play. It wasn’t surprising, given that the Sens got away with plenty of shenanigans after whistles, including a mugging of Quillan by three opponents, and Crookshank was allowed to throw punches against an unwilling participant.
Third Period
Toronto’s lone power play of the game arrived at the two-minute mark of the final frame. Ryan Tverberg had the best opportunity from close range but could only draw a good save out of Leevi Merilainen.
Seconds after the man-advantage expired, the Marlies should have taken the lead. William Villeneuve’s point shot produced a rebound that Joseph Blandisi somehow didn’t finish off as Merilainen made another big save for the Sens.
Belleville took control of the final frame for 10 minutes in the same vein as the first period. Hildeby stood up to the task once again with a double save on Jeremy Davies and Crookshank, and he was excellent during a scramble play in which Toronto’s defenders were running around.
The Marlies established themselves again with eight minutes remaining but couldn’t find a way to score. Nikita Grebenkin was denied in tight after some nice interplay with Marshall Rifai. Abruzzese escaped down the left wing on a partial breakaway, but his low effort was easily brushed aside.
Toronto killed off one final penalty before attempting to win the game in regulation. Tverberg continues to be snakebitten in front of goal this season, as Merilainen denied his attempt from the slot.
Overtime/Shootout
Zack Ostapchuk carved open Toronto in just 40 seconds, but Hildeby made his best save to keep the Marlies alive.
The Marlies threatened only once in the extra frame, coming agonizingly close to claiming victory. Logan Shaw ripped a booming one-time shot square off the crossbar as the captain was nearly the extra-time hero for the second consecutive game.
Hildeby sent the game to a shootout by turning aside a penalty shot from Matthew Highmore. Steeves, Nylander, and Shaw were all turned aside in the skills competition, and ironically, Highmore scored the winning goal for Belleville.
Post Game Notes
– The penalty kill improved to a perfect 26/26, although it was mostly down to the play of Dennis Hildeby. Apart from one hair-raising moment when playing the puck, Hildeby could not have performed better in his season debut. His 34-save performance earned Toronto a point.
“[Hildeby] made some huge saves at the right times,” said Gruden. “He gave us a chance to win. I didn’t expect anything less.”
– Alex Steeves is now the franchise’s all-time joint second-highest goal-scorer with his fifth tally in his seventh game this season. The winger recorded a season-high six shots.
– Jacob Bengtsson and Braeden Kressler made their professional debuts. It was a tough game for both rookies to get into. Bengtsson acquitted himself fine and wasn’t overly noticeable, which is a positive for a defenseman. Kressler had some nice touches in the first half of the game, making some connection points with Sam Stevens and Joseph Blandisi.
– Saturday’s lineup:
Forwards
Abruzzese – Shaw – Nylander
Hirvonen – Quillan – Steeves
Grebenkin – Paré – Tverberg
Blandisi – Stevens – Kressler
Defense
Rifai – Niemelä
Webber – Villeneuve
Bengtsson – Kokkonen
Goalies
Hildeby
Akhtyamov
