“We didn’t get the start we wanted. I love how we just got better as the game went on. I thought it was an incredible win for our group. For the most part, I thought we carried the play, and when Matt Murray had to be there, he was.”
– John Gruden
“To him that will, ways are not wanting” is a phrase from the 1600s penned by writer George Herbert. It’s since morphed into a more familiar expression — if there is a will, there is a way — but the motto remains the same.
This was the final game of the 10-game season series between the Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators, and for Belleville, it was Game 7 as their playoff hopes hang by a thread. After falling behind early due to another slow start, the Marlies willed themselves back into the game and found a way to win.
First Period
The Senators scored on their first offensive foray with 1:50 on the clock. Xavier Bourgault reacted quickest to collect the loose puck following a blocked shot amid traffic around the net, delivering a backhand finish after the Marlies didn’t close down quickly enough in front.
The Marlies tried to manufacture a response with a flurry of shot attempts, but none troubled Leevi Meriläinen. Belleville then flipped the tables, firing eight shots without reply in 50 seconds, five of which were Grade-A chances. Matt Murray wasn’t beaten for a second time as the Senators pushed to add to their lead.
The Marlies should have been on the power play at the midway mark. However, the officials seemed to forget about the original penalty following a shot taken by Belleville after the whistle, ending with a six-man scrum and four roughing penalties.
After play resumed, Logan Shaw teed up Nick Abruzzese in the heart of the slot, but the winger couldn’t solve Meriläinen.
The final nine minutes were about bending but not breaking as the Marlies killed two penalties and spent large spells in the defensive zone. Murray came up with two more excellent saves to keep the deficit at one.
Second Period
The typically clinical Steeves had the tying goal on his stick inside three minutes when Villenueve’s shot produced a rebound chance for the winger at the side of the goal, but he couldn’t find the finish this time.
Tyler Boucher’s ridiculous cross-check from behind after a stoppage in play handed Toronto a power play, and the Marlies made him pay. Jacob Quillan was the architect with a surging drive to the net before offloading to Blandisi. The veteran forward came through when his team needed it most to tie the game at 1-1.
Tommy Miller almost gave Toronto an unlikely lead when his long-range effort rang off the crossbar via a redirect. When Belleville attacked in transition, debutant John Prokop made a tremendous play to break up a 2v1.
Toronto killed off a penalty with Cade Webber in the box before pushing for a go-ahead goal. The other debutant made his mark; Luke Haymes drove hard to the net after a wonderfully worked give-and-go, but Meriläinen robbed the rookie with a fantastic double save.
In the dying seconds of the frame, Toronto went close again to snatching a crucial second goal. Robert Mastrosimone dangled his way past two defenders before teeing up Webber. With Meriläinen floundering, Webber sent the puck narrowly wide of the net.
Third Period
The Marlies carried most of the play in the third period but couldn’t make it count on the scoreboard.
Prokop received man-advantage time on an early power play and did a nice job quarterbacking it, but Toronto couldn’t find a way through.
Seconds after the penalty had expired, Steeves turned playmaker for Dakota Mermis. The defenseman could not bury at the first or second attempt as another high-danger scoring chance slipped away from Toronto.
Murray remained steady at the other end, making timely saves when required. He robbed Tyler Boucher and then Stephen Halliday on a partial breakaway, while Steeves sacrificed himself to block a booming shot on the penalty kill.
The Marlies continued to outshoot and outchance the Senators without breaking through in the final minutes of regulation. After combining with Hirvonen, Quillan was stopped by Meriläinen from close range.
The final chance of regulation fell to Zach Solow on a partial breakaway. Meriläinen gave up a juicy rebound on Solow’s shot, but the loose puck fell agonizingly outside the reach of Mastrosimone.
Overtime/Shootout
The extra frame was absolutely bonkers. I could almost write a novel about it, but let’s keep it as concise as possible.
Firstly, it was a miracle that neither team scored. Steeves didn’t convert on two breakaways, while Abruzzese, Mermis, and Villeneuve couldn’t capitalize on additional Grade-A scoring chances. Murray stonewalled Bourgault, Hailliday, and Pilon at the other end of the ice before late drama ensued.
With 12 seconds remaining, Belleville thought they had clinched the victory. A brainfart by Mermis presented the Senators with a 2v0 break, and Jan Jenik snuck the puck through Murray but ran the goaltender in the process. The official behind the net immediately waved the goal off, and after one of the lengthiest reviews imaginable, the call on the ice stood.
The Belleville head coach berated the officials in a lengthy conversation before the stripes converged for another conversation, and the goal was waved off for a third time. It made for a truly bizarre finish, and in between the rulings, Donovan Sebrango was sent to the locker room early for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The shootout was just as dramatic. Shaw and Bourgualt scored as the third shooters for both teams, and there was no further scoring until the sixth round. Blandisi’s effort trickled over Meriläinen’s shoulder and the goal line to give Murray a chance to seal the win. The veteran netminder rejected Jamieson Rees to clinch the extra point and boost the Marlies’ playoff hopes.
Post Game Notes
– The Marlies came out on top in the season series against Belleville with a 6-2-2 record. The penalty kill was a key feature of Toronto’s success; the Marlies went 4/4 on the PK on Saturday and 34/36 against Belleville (94.4%) over the season series.
– The first period was a baptism of fire for John Prokop, as the Marlies were holding on for dear life at times. He grew into the game and made two outstanding defensive plays: the first to break up a 2v1 and the second to deny a partial breakaway. John Gruden entrusted him with minor power-play duties, which he handled well. I would not be surprised to see the head coach return to the well quickly with the young defenseman.
“[Prokop] is a very headsy player,” said Gruden. “He did a great job on that power play he was running there. He skates well. It took him a bit; when you come into this building, you know Belleville will come in waves. They made it hard on us in the first 10 minutes, but you could see he started settling in. He did a lot of good things, making good decisions and moving the puck quickly. He can skate; he covered some ground on a partial breakaway to close it out real quick.”
– Luke Haymes saw his minutes limited by the amount of special teams play but made a strong impression at five-on-five. He was a direct player offensively and solid defensively in a promising debut.
“I would’ve liked to have gotten him out there a little bit more,” said Gruden. “With the special teams time, I didn’t want to put himself in a position he wasn’t familiar with yet with us. But I thought he was composed and responsible defensively. He skates well. He wasn’t afraid to get inside on his chance. A lot to like.”
– Matt Murray stopped a season-high 36 shots. He has rarely let the Marlies down this season with a 9-5-3 record and .934 save percentage.
– He’s the ultimate team-first player not known for touting his own accomplishments, but amid a slower season offensively, Joseph Blandisi must have been thrilled with his individual contributions in this game, notching the tying goal and the shootout winner.
– Saturday’s lineup:
Forwards
Abruzzese – Shaw – Steeves
Hirvonen – Quillan – Nylander
Mastrosimone – Blandisi – Solow
Baddock – Haymes – Paré
Defensemen
Mermis – Villeneuve
Webber – Rifai
Prokop – Miller
Goaltenders
Murray
Hildeby
