“I thought we played extremely well in the first period. We did a lot of good things, managed the game well, were connected, and defended really well. We probably lost our momentum when [Laval] scored that [shorthanded goal]. From there, we were on our heels.”
– John Gruden
After a solid first period in which the Toronto Marlies went toe-to-toe with the North Division leaders, Laval was handed two goals in seven minutes, and the result was never in doubt afterward.
First Period
The first five minutes were low-event hockey, which must have pleased John Gruden, until Reese Johnson was assessed an interference penalty.
Toronto’s penalty kill was excellent, shutting down Laval and generating the best scoring chance. Alex Steeves led a 3v2 rush and found Matt Anderson as the trailing man on the play. The defenseman fired wide from the top of the circles.
Toronto had to wait until almost the 12th minute to record their second shot. It should have been the opening goal after Xavier Simoneau’s misplay presented Zach Solow with the puck alone in the slot. Solow attempted to make a move around Cayden Primeau, but the goaltender made a left-toe save after Solow didn’t elevate his shot.
Two minutes later, the Marlies earned their first power play and tried out different player combinations. It made no difference whatsoever, as Solow took a selfish boarding penalty to negate the penalty.
Some nice interplay between Topi Niemelä and Nick Abrruzese appeared to have broken the deadlock during the ensuing 4v4 action. The winger shuffled the puck across the goal line after crashing the net; not only was the goal waved off, but Abrruzzese was also assessed a harsh goaltender interference penalty.
Matt Murray stepped up with some key saves as Toronto killed off all penalties, including 45 seconds down two skaters.
Following the penalty’s expiration, the Marlies produced their best offensive shift of the period. Steeves created space in the high slot, but again, a clinical finish was missing as the leading scorer fired wide of the post.
Second Period
The Marlies got off to another solid start to the middle frame with lots of low-event play, as Laval couldn’t play at their desired pace or kickstart their efficient transition game.
Toronto generated the first quality scoring chance of the frame, but Cayden Primeau denied Steeves. Jacob Quillan caught the rebound but couldn’t get his shot away quick enough after dropping the puck to his stick.
On the same play, Quillan took a weak slashing penalty and watched on as Toronto’s penalty kill excelled once more to keep Laval at bay.
The turning point arrived at the midway mark with Lucas Condotta in the box for slashing. A mispay from William Villeneuve at the Laval blue line gift-wrapped a short-handed breakaway. Laurent Dauphin made no mistake with a nifty backhand finish through Murray’s five-hole.
Toronto did not respond after conceding in such a devastating fashion, and a second Laval goal seemed inevitable.
Marshal Rifai and Niemelä lost battles cleanly below the goal line, denying Toronto the chance to clear their lines. They weren’t helped by the fourth line, which did little to close down Laval or box them out. Sean Farrell’s low shot redirected off the leg of Dauphin parked out front and past an unsighted Murray.
Laval tried to keep Toronto interested with a slot giveaway late in the period, but Steeves’ shot struck the far post.
Third Period
Toronto opened the final frame on a carried-over power play. They mustered one zone entry but passed up every shooting opportunity once inside the zone. It summed up their performance, the Marlies registered just four shots in the final frame, and Laval’s 2-0 lead was never in peril.
The Rocket should have padded the lead to record a more comfortable win. Adam Engstrom struck the crossbar and was denied twice by Murray, who also pulled off a top-notch save to rob Simoneau from point-blank range.
The Marlies’ only two chances of the period to halve the deficit fell on the respective sticks of Johnson and Paré. Neither is known for their scoring exploits, and both produced weak finishes from the heart of the slot.
With over three minutes remaining, Murray headed to the bench, but it was a fruitless exercise. In a game to forget for Villeneuve, he sent a pass directly onto the tape of Dauphin, who had the easy task of skating the puck down the ice to record his hat trick.
Post Game Notes
– The game-winner is the fifth shorthanded goal the Marlies have allowed this season.
– The parade to the penalty box is a worrying aspect of Toronto’s play. One of the most disciplined teams for the majority of the season, the Marlies have been shorthanded 230 times (third most) after heading to the box 34 times in the last six games.
– The slightly revamped line-up and shuffling of the power play units proved futile. Cedric Paré struggled, and Alex Nylander’s play has fallen off a cliff when the team needs him most (one goal in nine games). Nylander and Logan Shaw have both been guilty of turning down chances to shoot, making life easier for opposing defenses and goaltenders.
– 12 of the remaining 13 games of the regular season are against North Division opponents. Toronto has now lost five straight games to division rivals. With seven points separating Belleville in sixth and Toronto in third, the playoffs are no sure thing, with other teams having at least one game in hand on the Marlies.
– Wednesday’s lineup:
Forwards
Paré – Shaw – Abruzzese
Nylander – Quillan – Steeves
Mastrosimone – Blandisi – Solow
Hirvonen – Johnson – Barbolini
Defensemen
Mermis – Villeneuve
Rifai – Niemelä
Anderson – Miller
Goaltenders
Murray
Akhtyamov
