“It was a tight game. They’re a high-pressure team that comes at you in this building [Place Bell]. I thought we did a good job of weathering the storm. Our guys did a very good job of protecting the inside.”
– John Gruden
The Toronto Marlies remain difficult to beat in regulation when not facing the Cleveland Monsters.
This incarnation of the Laval Rocket is superior to previous seasons. They are built for speed, to attack in transition, and feature a ton of skill and offense.
In the first meeting this season, Toronto produced an almost perfect road performance to win the opening game of the weekend.
First Period
Toronto set the tone for success in the opening frame by negating Laval’s speed and limiting their chances in transition. The coaching staff must have enjoyed how the Marlies performed without the puck.
Scoring chances were scarce, but a wonderful goal at the seven-minute mark broke the deadlock.
It all began with Alex Steeves, whose game has taken on a greater purpose this season due to an enhanced focus on physical and defensive responsibilities.
Steeves outbattled an opponent along the boards in Toronto’s zone, freeing possession for Logan Shaw, who dished off to Nick Abruzzese as he was storming through the neutral zone.
The latter dropped a pass back to Steeves following up the play, and he picked out William Villeneuve jumping across the Laval blue line. The defenseman got the puck quickly off his stick to deliver an inch-perfect backdoor feed which Abruzzese or Steeves could have scored on, with the goal eventually credited to the former.
Another defenseman almost created a second goal for the Marlies with nine minutes remaining. Nicholas Mattinen had his head up and found Ryan Tverberg down low, cutting inside his opponent. The sophomore forward has been snakebitten this season but did everything right as he showed strength in cutting across the crease, only to lose the handle with Jakub Dobeš floundering and the net at his mercy.
Two minutes later, Toronto was down to five defensemen. Cade Webber sustained an injury that curtailed his evening, possibly the result of blocking a shot.
Artur Akhtyamov wasn’t tested until the final five minutes when he produced a top-notch double stop to turn aside Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Laurent Dauphin.
A flurry of penalties to finish the frame resulted in no further goals and more frustration for both teams. A word of praise for Braeden Kressler, who battled to the final second of the period to draw a penalty he wouldn’t have earned by just seeing out the clock.
Second Period
After a solid first 20 minutes, John Gruden must have been frustrated by the wild-west hockey in the opening seven minutes of the middle frame.
Steeves negated a power play by firing the puck against the boards after an offside call. It was hardly the worst offense you’ll ever see, and it seemed as if the officials were pandering to the whinging of the home team more than anything else.
Laval struck at four-on-four thanks to the generosity of Abruzzese. Owen Beck stripped him of the possession in the left circle, and before Akhtyamov could react, Beck swept the puck past him in a flash.
Dakota Mermis followed that up by taking another poor penalty, and Toronto found themselves facing a 5-on-3 for 26 seconds.
After the Marlies killed off the two-man deficit, Steeves was a man possessed upon exiting the box. He seized on an excellent pass from Cédric Paré which split the Laval defense and beat Dobeš top-shelf. The amped celebration likely had more to do with the nonsense penalty and whining of Laval, but perhaps Steeves also realized he had tied the Marlies‘ all-time point lead in the process.
With Dobeš injured on the play, he exited the game to be replaced by Connor Hughes.
As the period approached the seven-minute mark, the nature of the tying goal angered the Marlies. Akhtyamov produced a couple of sharp saves and appeared to lay on the puck in a prone position. I have no clue why the play wasn’t whistled down, but Joshua Roy was allowed to hack away under the netminder before releasing the puck and slotting home into the vacant cage.
Both penalty kills reigned supreme as neither team’s power play units seized upon further infractions.
Toronto finished the period strongly and probably should have carried a lead into the intermission. Steeves had another good look from the high slot, but the lower forwards in the lineup had the best opportunities. Jacob Quillan couldn’t bury his three chances, but at least he hit the target. In the dying seconds, Zach Solow sent a rebound wide of the mark from point-blank range after initial good work from Kyle Clifford to drive the net.
Third Period
Laval got off to a bright start in the third period. The Rocket hemmed the Marlies in their zone for almost two minutes but couldn’t find a way through.
Toronto responded in good fashion, but a killer touch was once again missing. A wonderful reverse pass by Quillan created a Grade-A scoring chance for Clifford, who inexplicably fired wide from point-blank range.
Scoring opportunities were few and far between, with a combined shot total of only 11.
In truth, there was one chance of note apiece for either team to win the game in regulation (Shaw for Toronto and Xavier Simoneau for Laval), but both goaltenders remained resolute to force overtime.
Overtime/Shootout
After Akhtyamov robbed Logan Mailloux from the slot, Toronto took control of the overtime frame. Shaw drew a penalty after beating all three Laval skaters, ensuring the Marlies finished overtime with a 4v3 power play.
It proved a hugely disappointing display with the man advantage as nobody wearing blue took control of the situation. That Hughes did not face a shot on the penalty kill is an indictment of how poor the Marlies were with the man advantage.
With a record of 0-2 in the shootout this season, it was no surprise that Cédric Paré mentioned in the post-game presser that the team had been working on the skills competition this week.
Steeves scored on his attempt, but Roy matched him as the teams were locked at 1-1 through three shooters. After Harvey-Pinard was turned aside by the glove of Akhtyamov, up stepped Paré.
The Quebec native was booed from the first moment he touched the puck on his opening shift, and the intensity only increased as he set off on his shootout attempt. He drowned out the noise and nonchalantly scored before cupping his ear with his hand in celebration.
Post Game Notes
– This was just Toronto’s third win in eight road games. Admittedly, they’ve been difficult to beat, but they will need to find a way to create more offense (20 goals) on their travels.
– Artur Akhtyamov stopped 22 of 24 shots and turned aside four of five shooters for the victory. He wasn’t overly busy for long stretches, but I felt this performance was another nod to his composure and ability to stay in the moment. I can think of previous netminders who would have allowed the second goal to weigh on them. He’s rocking an impressive 7-0-1 record, but more importantly, Akhtyamov has allowed just three goals in as many starts, posting a .962 SV%.
– Still working his way back from injury, Cédric Paré produced a solid performance against the background of a fervent crowd that was baying for blood every time he hit the ice. Superb on the penalty kill, he also delivered the pass resulting in a shorthanded goal for Steeves. I give both John Gruden and the player himself credit for stepping up in the shootout. Scoring the game-winner must have felt good, and I like the fact he gave it back to the crowd at the end of the game. If nothing else, it shows he cares deeply, and let’s face it, it’s great to see some emotion in hockey.
– Perhaps unsurprisingly, Dakota Mermis struggled on debut. He looked rusty, took a pair of avoidable penalties, and had some problematic moments in possession. Mermis is a veteran blue liner who I have no doubt will be an asset to the group once he finds his feet after the injury and extended rehab.
– A masterful performance by Alex Steeves yielded two points. The shorthanded goal showed us what we already know about him in terms of his goal-scoring. His play on the opening goal showed the new dimensions to his game. He has now tied Kris Newbury as the franchise’s all-time points leader.
– Friday’s lineup:
Forwards
Abruzzese – Shaw – Steeves
Hirvonen – Pare – Tverberg
Clifford – Quillan – Solow
Barbolini – Stevens – Kressler
Defensemen
Webber – Benning
Mermis – Villeneuve
Kokkonen – Mattinen
Goaltenders
Akhtyamov
Hildeby
