“The (first intermission) message was that we needed to get going. [Lehigh] were controlling the play, and we weren’t playing to our capabilities. I was very impressed with the way we responded, and we didn’t just do it with one or two guys; we did it with the whole team.”
– John Gruden
The Toronto Marlies made life difficult after an ugly first-period showing in which they dug themselves a two-goal hole. Slow starts have been a constant theme this season, as the Marlies have allowed the first goal on 14 occasions and have been outscored 17-8 in the first period.
First Period
The Marlies actually flew out of the gates. They hemmed Lehigh in their defensive zone for 90 seconds, even bringing fresh legs off the bench into their early push. Nick Abruzzese struck the post from point-blank range before a high-sticking penalty by Jacob Quillan released the pressure.
The ensuing penalty kill was a contender for the worst penalty kill of the campaign. Olle Lycksell skated unencumbered through the left circle and set up Jacob Gaucher for a tap-in.
Artur Akhtyamov made a brilliant stop to deny Lehigh scoring on a second power play, robbing Anthony Richard from the heart of the slot.
The netminder followed it up with an old-school poke-check to break up an odd-man situation as Lehigh threatened to build a healthy lead.
The Phantoms deservedly doubled their lead at the 10-minute mark. With Toronto caught running around the defensive zone, a scramble ensued in the slot, where Sam Stevens inadvertently scored into his own net (Gaucher was credited with his second of the game).
A mistake from William Villeneuve resulted in a breakaway for the Phantoms, which Akhtyamov broke up with a flying poke-check. The goaltender was called for tripping, but Toronto negated the penalty and finished the period with a 90-second power play.
Cal Peterson wasn’t called on to make a save, and the Marlies were somewhat fortunate to head into the intermission trailing by only two.
Second Period
Toronto tore Lehigh apart in the middle frame, scoring four goals inside 11 minutes.
The Marlies halved the deficit on the opening shift of the middle frame. Matt Benning’s long-range shot produced a rebound for Logan Shaw parked out front. Unable to get a quick shot off, Toronto’s captain sent a wonderful backhand pass behind him for Mikko Kokkonen to finish off at the far post.
Toronto rode the momentum of scoring 28 seconds into the frame to tie the game three minutes later.
On a shift reminiscent of the start of the game, Toronto pulled Lehigh apart, and even when the Phantoms cleared to the neutral zone, they couldn’t complete a line change. Facing tired legs, Alex Steeves, Shaw, and Abruzzese combined on an inch-perfect tic-tac-toe play finished off by the latter.
The Marlies’ go-ahead goal was the perfect example of why every second of a shift matters.
Matthew Barbolini appeared to be heading to the bench but instead closed down Olle Lycksell at the Lehigh blue line. The intended pass from Lycksell hit the skates of Barbolini, who also delivered a big hit on the Lehigh forward. The puck fell perfectly for Steeves, who made no mistake on a breakaway on his 25th birthday.
The fourth goal came after Cédric Paré won an offensive-zone faceoff. He and Zach Solow battled in the slot to get the puck toward the net, where a scramble ensued. The returning Joseph Blandisi couldn’t jam the puck home, and neither could Paré, but a failed Lehigh clearance landed at the feet of Kokkonen. With Peterson down and out on the play, the Finnish defenseman lifted the puck into the upper part of the net.
Toronto had chances to increase their two-goal lead. A power play — which included Paré playing the point — generated several scoring opportunities without converting.
Stevens and Mastrosimone were a handful for Lehigh in the middle frame, creating three chances for one another before combining to tee up Blandisi, who couldn’t sweep home a rebound at full stretch.
After a wonderful second-period performance, Toronto handed Lehigh a lifeline in the final seconds. Steeves’ penalty and a floundering penalty kill resulted in Jon-Randall Avon bringing the Phantoms within one.
Third Period
Far from the first time this season, Toronto found themselves down a man after Zach Solow was ruled out for the third period. It didn’t matter in the end, as the Marlies struck twice in nine minutes to seal the victory.
Excellent work from Paré denied Lehigh an exit across their blue line and released Blandisi on the right flank. The latter got his head up to find Benning pinching in through the middle of the zone. A perfect pass allowed the defenseman to rip a one-time slap-shot by Peterson.
The Phantoms were made to pay for another botched zone exit in conceding a sixth goal. From the left point, Dakota Mermis found Steeves in acres of space, where he looked set to shoot. Steeves caught Lehigh off-guard by selecting pass, finding Shaw in the left circle. Toronto’s captain picked his spot to score his third of the campaign as the Marlies returned to winning ways.
Post Game Notes
– Four points separate first through fifth place in a very congested North Division. Toronto (fourth) is three points back of first place with three games in hand.
– Artur Akhtyamov’s individual stats were done no favours in this game, but he had little chance on any of the three goals (two power-play tallies and an own-goal). He made some key stops to limit the damage in the opening frame and a save of note in the third period before Toronto scored the insurance markers. A 26-save performance improves his season record to 8-0-1.
“[Akhtyamov] is not shy on confidence,” said Gruden. “He doesn’t show emotion, good or bad. You don’t know if we are up two or down two. He is really dialed into what he needs to do to make the next save. For a first-year pro, it is pretty impressive.”
– Alex Steeves extended his goal and point streak with a fifth consecutive multi-point haul (1G/2A). His 13-goal tally (in 13 games) is good for fifth in the AHL despite his nearest competition playing at least 10 more games. He’s undoubtedly playing the best hockey of his career, and, for my money, he deserves a genuine shot at becoming an everyday NHL player.
“[Steeves] has the ability to play a 200-foot game,” said Gruden. “We all knew he could shoot and score, but he is a smart player as well. Now that he has added some physicality to it, where he is playing in some straighter lines and engaging a little bit more, it seems like he has the puck on his stick. He has definitely [elevated] his game. As a coaching staff, it is always fun to see a player grow. That is why we are here, and that is what this league is designed to do.”
– Dakota Mermis (1A) and Matt Benning (1G/1A) recorded their first-ever points for the Toronto Marlies.
– This was the first professional two-goal game for Mikko Kokkonen, who took his chances with aplomb. He’s never been offensively prolific from the blue line, so it was novel to witness the positions he took up in the offensive zone in this outing.
“Everyone wants to look at their point totals, and if they aren’t getting any, sometimes they get a little frustrated like they don’t have their value,” said Gruden. “But there are so many other things that [Kokkonen] does well that people don’t see on a scoresheet. For him to get rewarded with a couple is important for his confidence. It is good for our D’s confidence, too, to see you can do it.”
– A three-point haul for Logan Shaw (1G/2A) marks the 20th occasion in his career he’s scored three or more points in a single game.
– Tuesday’s lines:
Forwards
Abruzzese – Shaw – Steeves
Barbolini – Quillan – Tverberg
Blandisi – Paré – Solow
Hirvonen – Stevens – Mastrosimone
Defensemen
Kokkonen – Benning
Mermis – Villeneuve
Miller – Mattinen
Goaltenders
Akhtyamov
Hildeby
