“All the momentum swings are going to [Laval]. They are scoring those timely goals and power-play goals, and they’re getting timely saves. We had a really good opportunity to either take the lead or get a tie, but we’re falling short.”
– John Gruden
A fourth defeat in five games has imperiled the Toronto Marlies‘ playoff hopes.
“Hopefully, we end up finishing in the third spot so we don’t see them [Laval] for a couple [of playoff rounds],” said Gruden after this 4-1 loss to the Rocket.
Cleveland is now on the same points total as Toronto, with one more game played. Fifth-placed Syracuse is three points back with a game in hand. Belleville sits outside of the playoffs in sixth place (five points behind) but plays Toronto on Saturday night in a must-win for both teams.
First Period
This game had many Groundhog Day moments for the Marlies, starting with another slow start and an early goal against. With only 60 seconds played, Toronto gifted the lead to an opponent that was 20-4-0 when leading after 20 minutes.
Marshall Rifai collected a dump-in and skated it into trouble, surrendering possession along the left wall. Laval worked the puck to the point where William Trudeau’s long-range effort found the net via Riley Kidney with Dennis Hildeby completely screened.
The Marlies were outplayed and outworked through the first 13 minutes and were fortunate not to fall further behind. Dennis Hildeby produced a huge save at the four-minute mark to rob Luca Condotta after another defensive breakdown.
Another mistake from Rifai resulted in him taking an interference penalty to prevent a breakaway. Toronto’s penalty kill stood firm, though, and they dodged a bullet within seconds of Rifai exiting the box. Tommy Miller failed to clear the zone twice, and Sean Farrell struck the crossbar with a tipped effort.
A holding penalty by Florian Xhekaj turned the tide with 6:37 remaining. Toronto created one Grade-A chance but didn’t take advantage, a theme throughout the game. Alex Nylander’s finishing attempt from the slot was comfortably stopped in the first of three chances Toronto didn’t capitalize on through the opening frame.
On a partial breakaway, Alex Steeves attempted a backhand five-hole finish, but again, it was a relatively stress-free save for Primeau.
In the dying seconds, Steeves escaped down the left-hand side once more. Shooting appeared like the percentage call with teammates on hand for a potential rebound, but Steeves passed off to Nick Abruzzese, who was turned aside.
Second Period
Perfectly encapsulated in the middle frame, Laval handled the key moments better throughout this game. Toronto dominated play five-on-five, but profligacy around the net cost them dearly.
An early power play was a carbon copy of the one in the first period. The puck was worked to Nylander in the slot for a chance he had to convert. Even though he possesses a wrist shot, Nylander hasn’t bore down from point-blank range, and Primeau smothered the shot.
The offensive frustration continued when Matthew Barbolini’s booming shot resulted in a huge rebound. Ryan Tverberg seized on the loose puck but sent his follow-up effort flush off the post.
At the six-minute mark. Steeves struck the iron, and the puck lingered inches from the goal line with Primeau beaten. Abruzzese made a complete mess of the tap-in, and in the ensuing scramble, Logan Shaw’s close-range effort was blocked as Laval threw bodies into the blue paint.
With the Marlies controlling play and creating quality chances, Zach Solow’s decision to drop the gloves straight off a faceoff was, in one sense, commendable, but it was also a debatable call in terms of timing within the context of the game’s momentum. It amped up the home bench and crowd, which had been quiet with their team under siege.
After a lull in the action, Laval capitalized on consecutive stick infractions to take a complete hold of the game. With Steeves in the box for slashing, Laval scored within six seconds. Alex Barré-Boulet finished off a rebound at the backpost from Farrell’s initial shot.
Five seconds later, Roni Hirvonen sat down for a high-sticking infraction. Alex Barré-Boulet struck the post, but the seemingly inevitable goal arrived through Florian Xhekaj, giving Laval a 3-0 lead with a little over 30 minutes played.
Toronto had the chance to hit back on the power play. A shot from Steeves resulted in a slot rebound for Cedric Paré, who whiffed on the chance and compounded the error by taking a tripping penalty out of frustration.
Toronto never stopped trying, and there was never a lack of belief that they could get back into the game. In the resulting four-on-four action, the Marlies generated three high-quality scoring chances.
Nifty footwork from Topi Niemelä allowed him to tee up Rifai in the heart of the slot. Not noted for his scoring prowess, Rifai’s weak finish was gobbled up by a confident Primeau.
William Villeneuve followed Niemelä’s lead as he rounded the Laval defense before delivering a perfect backdoor feed to Jacob Quillan. Primeau produced a tremendous glove save, but the rookie had to bury the chance to give Toronto any chance of a comeback.
The third chance fell to Joseph Blandisi on a broken play during a 2v2 rush. It was the kind of opportunity Blandisi would have buried last season, but his shot was stopped by a shoulder save from Primeau.
The Marlies registered 20 shots through the second period, the last of which should have resulted in their first goal. Dakota Mermis unleashed a point shot that Primeau could only parry to his left. The puck fell to Villeneuve, who needed to elevate the puck over the netminder’s left pad. The defenseman shovelled his shot into the side netting.
Third Period
The Marlies couldn’t create enough momentum to generate an unlikely comeback, firing just two shots in the first 11 minutes.
Shaw’s double minor for high-sticking negated a Toronto powerplay, resulting in an elongated man advantage for Laval.
Quillan had the chance to put his team on the board on a breakaway but again couldn’t solve Primeau.
The Marlies did break Primeau’s shutout bid with five minutes remaining. A strong forecheck allowed the Marlies to start a cycle, leading to a give-and-go between Steeves and Villeneuve at the point. The latter surged into the right circle before delivering a pass onto the tape of Quillan, who scored at the back post.
Toronto recorded one more shot on goal before Barré-Boulet scored an empty-netter to put the result beyond doubt.
Post Game Notes
– This was the final game of the regular-season series against Laval. Toronto’s record of 2-5-1 will be one they will have to forget (after taking the proper lessons) if the teams meet in the postseason.
– Special teams were a major swing factor, as the Rocket dominated this area of the game. Toronto went 0-for-4 on the power play and 4-for-6 on the penalty kill.
– Jacob Quillan produced another excellent performance, only slightly sullied by not taking more chances when the game was in reach. He recorded six shots on goal, has now scored in three successive games, and has found the net seven times in the last 10 games.
“[Quillan] has taken advantage of his opportunities,” said Gruden. “He is playing in all situations now. He is a hound on the puck. He skates extremely well, and he is strong. If you look at all of the goals he has scored, I bet you they are within five feet of the net. He has done a great job of going to these areas, and that is what has gotten him to this point.”
– William Villeneuve took some of the blame for the faltering power play, but when his teammates continued to miss from point-blank range, I’m not sure how much more he can do. The defenseman has nine assists in the last eight games and 29 for the season (14th amongst AHL defensemen).
– The final word courtesy of John Gruden: “We had a lot of chances, and our guys didn’t quit. We’re just going to have to carry that over into tomorrow [in Belleville] because we know how important that game is.”
– Friday’s lineup:
Forwards
Abruzzese – Shaw – Steeves
Hirvonen – Quillan – Nylander
Barbolini – Blandisi – Solow
Baddock – Paré – Tverberg
Defensemen
Mermis – Villeneuve
Rifai – Niemelä
Anderson – Miller
Goaltenders
Hildeby
Akhtyamov
