“I think it is a huge goal for [Logan Shaw]. He’s been doing a lot of (good) things that don’t show up on the scoresheet. For him to make a big play in a big moment like that, it should help propel him moving forward.”
– John Gruden
For 50 minutes, the Toronto Marlies looked set to record a much-needed regulation win against a divisional rival. They had chances to expand their 4-1 advantage before a five-minute letoff allowed the visiting Syracuse Crunch to secure a point and force overtime.
First Period
It was a disjointed start to the contest. Both teams lacked fluency, and neither could establish a foothold in the game.
Toronto survived a scare in the seventh minute as Dennis Hildeby produced a quality double save to deny Spencer Kersten from close range. The Marlies responded by scoring 30 seconds later.
Off a puck recovery and quality feed from Alex Nylander below the goal line, Mikko Kokkonen’s one-time shot appeared to skip off the ice, handcuffing Brandon Halverson between the pipes before finding the twine.
Logan Shaw and Kyle Clifford went close to netting a second before Toronto doubled the lead.
Joseph Blandisi has not been the same scoring force as in seasons past, but he reminded everyone of how clinical he can be with a top-shelf finish off a curl-and-drag wrister from the right circle.
The Marlies held a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes, which could have been doubled if they were more opportunistic offensively.
Second Period
Syracuse halved the deficit just 27 seconds into the middle frame. After Toronto lost a defensive-zone draw, Max Crozier wristed a shot toward goal from the half-wall. Hildeby was screened by bodies out front as the puck took a deflection before finding its way into the net.
Nikita Grebenkin set about re-establishing the two-goal lead with gusto. Excellent work down low allowed him to tee up Cedric Paré in the heart of the slot, but the finish didn’t match the set-up play.
The missed opportunity was quickly forgotten as Toronto scored at the four-minute mark. Amid a line change, William Villeneuve had no support options in the offensive zone, so he threw the puck toward the net in hopes of at least securing an offensive-zone draw. Halverson made a complete hash of the save as the puck went through him via the inside of his pad and off his stick.
That signaled the end of the game for the Syracuse netminder, as Matt Tomkins replaced him for the remainder of the game.
The Crunch rarely threatened in the middle frame and were limited to one Grade-A scoring chance. Kersten was left wide open on a rare defensive breakdown from the Marlies, but Hildeby denied the Crunch forward for the third time in the game.
Toronto finished the period strongly but couldn’t take advantage of four high-quality scoring chances for Alex Steeves (x2), Matthew Barbolini, and Topi Niemelä.
Third Period
A fast start to the final frame allowed Toronto to extend their lead.
The second line ran roughshod, with Steeves and Fraser Minten going agonizingly close to scoring. The sustained pressure paid off, though, as Roni Hirvonen produced a brilliant redirect to score on a slap pass from Niemelä.
Holding a 4-1 lead, Toronto appeared in total control, allowing just two shots from the Crunch in the first nine minutes of the third period.
From out of nowhere, the momentum shifted 10 seconds before the midway mark.
Declan Carlile’s blast from the blue line beat a screened Hildeby as the goaltender moved to his right in an attempt to sight the puck, only to see the puck fly in the opposite corner.
With Syracuse tilting the ice, Hildeby needed to reset quickly to make saves on Crozier and Gage Concalves on Grade-A chances. The Marlies were floundering, barely surviving almost two minutes pinned inside the defensive zone.
A sloppy attempt to put the puck in deep resulted in Syracuse recovering possession in the neutral zone and attacking in transition with speed. Kokkonen took a stab at the puck in the neutral zone but got beat, resulting in some space off the rush, and Gabriel Fortier and Conor Sheary combined to tee up Jack Finley to score on a back-door, one-time shot.
90 seconds later, the game was tied after a soft hooking call on Paré sent Syracuse to the power play. Given how the game had been officiated to that point, any frustration from the Marlies was well-founded. The Crunch graciously accepted the gift as Conor Geekie scored the third goal in seven minutes to tie the game at 4-4.
The remainder of regulation time petered out as Toronto headed to overtime for the second consecutive game.
Overtime
Unlike previous extra frames, this overtime was end-to-end with a good pace.
Crozier had the best chance for Syracuse, while Niemelä couldn’t convert on a chance at the other end for the Marlies.
Captain Logan Shaw took matters into his own hands after receiving a stretch pass from Grebenkin. From just above the right faceoff dot, Shaw wired a shot past the blocker of Tomkins to earn his team the extra point.
Post Game Notes
– The Marlies lead the AHL in winning percentage (.906) when scoring first (14-2-0-1). Toronto improved to 5-2 this season in overtime. They have won five on the bounce in the extra frame.
– This was Logan Shaw’s second overtime goal of the season, his sixth career AHL overtime goal, and his 10th game-winning goal as a Marlie. After scoring 30 last season, Shaw has struggled to find the net this season. This was just his second goal of 2025 (16 games) and his sixth of the season (41 games).
– Alex Nylander grabbed the primary assist on the first goal, but more importantly, there was a huge improvement in his overall performance. John Gruden thought it was his best as a Marlie. Nylander was dialed into the small details, backchecked as if his life depended on it, and twice stripped opponents of the puck, resulting in scoring chances in transition. If he could ever bottle this type of performance and reproduce it consistently, he’d be back in the NHL conversation.
“The [Abruzzese – Shaw – Nylander] was outstanding,” said Gruden. “They had a lot of ‘almosts’ where they could’ve been on the scoresheet a little more, but the effort was there. They were playing 200 feet.
“Nylander probably played his best game as a Marlie, moving his feet, playing in straight lines, and playing inside. You’d probably like to have it a little more often, but you can see when he is doing those little things, how much more dangerous he is, and how much more often he has the puck on his stick.”
– Nikita Grebenkin was the standout performer on the third line and could easily have had three points with better finishing. It will probably never happen, but I’d like to see him and Nick Abruzzese switch lines for a game for a different look.
– Fraser Minten centered a line featuring Roni Hirvonen and Alex Steeves to good effect. He immediately found chemistry with Steeves, in particular. Although neither got on the score sheet, they were instrumental in the build-up pressure resulting in Hirvonen’s goal.
– Joseph Blandisi recorded his 150th point as a Marlie with his fifth multi-point game (1G/1A) this season.
– Dennis Hildeby has been perfect in overtime this season with a 3-0 record. He made 24 saves for the win in a steady performance, although he might be disappointed by the second goal.
– Wednesday’s lineup:
Forwards
Abruzzese – Shaw – Nylander
Hirvonen – Minten – Steeves
Grebenkin – Paré – Quillan
Clifford – Blandisi – Barbolini
Defensemen
Mermis – Kokkonen
Rifai- Niemelä
Webber – Villeneuve
Goaltenders
Hildeby
Akhtyamov
