Losing becomes a bad habit at any time of the season. The Toronto Marlies were delighted to snap out of a four-game losing skid, of which at least half were self-inflicted defeats.
A fast start was critical, as was Artur Akhtyamov’s performance in net and the Marlies‘ willingness to grind and go toe-to-toe with a physical, hard-working Chicago team.
“It’s been a tough couple of weeks for us. We’ve been shooting ourselves in the foot. I thought we were a lot stronger with our decisions and better on our forecheck. We were just better overall. [Akhtyamov] made some big saves in the third as well. I’m proud of our players to be able to dig in like that and get a huge victory for us.”
– John Gruden
First Period
Akhtyamov was called into action with 22 seconds on the clock when Blake Smith was caught napping and Ronan Seeley blew past him. The netminder was equal to the early breakaway chance to deny the Wolves a dream start.
After gaining a foothold in the game, Toronto drew the first penalty. It was a dreadful initial effort on the power play, with a controlled zone entry only established after Chicago launched the puck over the glass. A customary snipe off the stick of Alex Nylander in the left circle gave Toronto the all-important opening goal.
Borya Valis and Bo Groulx went close to doubling the lead on Grade-A scoring chances, but more importantly, Akhtyamov was holding down the fort at the other end. The young goaltender produced three excellent saves on Justin Robidas, Noel Gunler, and Evan Vierling.
The Marlies’ momentum was halted by consecutive penalties, leading to the 14-7 disparity in shots. The penalty kill did an excellent job of keeping the Wolves to the outside, though, and Toronto took a slender lead into the first intermission.
Second Period
Paired together for the first time this season, Travis Boyd and Matthew Barbolini struck some chemistry in this game. A flying stick save robbed the latter, and Boyd was left equally frustrated seconds later by the unconventional methods of the Chicago goaltender.
The Marlies drew a second penalty after incessant pressure in the offensive zone only to struggle once more with the extra skater.
Akhtyamov rescued his team with an excellent save to deny Skyler Brind’Amour a shorthanded marker as Chicago nearly capitalized on a fragile power play effort from the Marlies.
Chicago finally solved Akhtyamov at the midway point of the game with the help of some sloppy defense. It was too easy for Gavin Bayreuther as he beat Boyd and walked around Henry Thrun before burying from between the circles. It was a highlight reel goal for the Wolves but one that would have infuriated John Gruden.
Toronto did not implode like in recent losses, and after a few minutes, took control of the game. Inserted back in the lineup after an injury, Ryan Tverberg was robbed from close range after a weaving drive from Bo Groulx.
The Marlies then found their go-ahead goal from an unlikely source. Another hard-working and effective shift from Valis saw him end up at the point, where the shot-happy rookie’s shot was blocked and fell kindly for the Marlies. Brandon Baddock reacted quickly to finish past Nikita Quapp, and Luke Haymes deserves a nod for the immovable screen alongside Baddock.
The Marlies spurned a later power-play opportunity and were forced to settle for a 2-1 scoreline through 40 minutes.
Third Period
Toronto’s ailing power play struck inside the first two minutes of the final frame. Jacob Quillan carried the puck off the rush and dished off to Nylander on his left after crossing the blue line. A short-side bar-down snipe from Nylander was exactly what the doctor ordered to give the Marlies some breathing room.
A penalty at the midway mark of the third period tilted the ice back toward Chicago. Standing alone in the crease, Brind’Amour redirected a shot from Seeley to claw the hosts back within one.
That was the impetus for Chicago to lay siege to the Toronto net for the remaining eight minutes. The Marlies did a good job of limiting Grade-A scoring chances, but when the Wolves threatened, Akhtyamov came to the rescue. The netminder stood tall against Domenick Fensore, Vierling, and Bayreuther.
In total control of the puck, Chicago opted for an extra attacker with three minutes remaining. Ironically, a timeout called by the Wolves quelled their momentum. Quillan negotiated a zone exit, and Reese Johnson slotted into the empty net to secure a much-needed Toronto victory with a 4-2 final.
Post Game Notes
– This was easily Artur Akhtyamov’s best performance so far this season, stopping 36 of 38 shots. Akhtyamov made more than a handful of excellent saves, and his composure in the crease was noticeable and encouraging.
“He made all of the saves that he was supposed to and gave us a chance to win, and then he made a couple of really nice ones, too, to make sure we kept the momentum,” said Gruden. “It was a good response by him, and some of the young D played extremely well in front of him.”
– Credit where credit is due: I was hypercritical of Alex Nylander at the start of the season, but he stepped up to the plate in this game. He scored his two goals in the manner you might expect, but he played like a leader and wasn’t afraid to be physical, dig for pucks in the corner, and battle as hard as his linemates. More of the same, please!
– After a rare game without a point, Jacob Quillan picked up two assists. He’s playing the big minutes and repaying the head coach for his faith. The primary helpers of the third and fourth goals encapsulated his valuable contributions to the team and his rapid progress along the development curve.
– Outside of a dumb penalty, Brandon Baddock made a strong impression in his first outing this season. He delivered some punishing hits in an extremely physical performance, while maintaining possession and showing his strength around the net.
– Sunday’s lineup:
Forwards
Barbolini – Shaw – Boyd
Nylander – Quillan – Johnson
Tverberg – Groulx- Lettieri
Baddock – Haymes – Valis
Defensemen
Webber – Thrun
Prokop – Villeneuve
Chadwick – Sharpe
Goaltenders
Akhtyamov
Peksa
