“I like the result. I like the goaltending. I like our penalty kill. I loved some of the blocked shots from our PK. They actually won us that game. I thought they were outstanding.
“We were too sporadic. It’s still not our template on how we want to play a full game, but again, I do like that our players were digging in and getting a win.”
– John Gruden
After a complete performance in Saturday’s 7-2 win, the Toronto Marlies looked disjointed at times in the rematch against a desperate Iowa team that gave its all. There are many ways to win hockey games, and the Marlies found a way in this one through secondary scoring, a resilient penalty kill, and the brilliance of their young netminder.
First Period
In a period lacking quality scoring chances, Toronto missed the opportunity to build a substantial lead. An Iowa turnover inside three minutes led to Luke Haymes’ Grade-A opportunity, but the rookie fired wide of the target.
Vinni Lettieri orchestrated the opening goal two minutes later. After chasing down a dump-in by Henry Thrun, Lettieri sent a pass back to the point, where William Villenueve measured a shot through traffic to break the deadlock.
Marc Johnstone and Borya Valis couldn’t bury excellent chances from the slot, although Toronto thought they doubled their tally in the final second. Haymes scored on a rebound opportunity during a late Toronto power play, but the goal was waved off when it was deemed that time had expired.
Artur Akhtyamov made one good save to deny Carson Lambos and was solid during a scramble in his crease, but he was otherwise untroubled. His quiet evening was about to change in the final 40 minutes.
Second Period
Akhtyamov made a fantastic double save to rob Oskar Olausson and Riley Heidt at the five-minute mark, but he couldn’t prevent a tying goal 60 seconds later. As Toronto floundered in the defensive zone, Iowa worked the puck back to the point, where David Jiricek scored through a mass of traffic in front.
Against the run of play, Toronto almost delivered an immediate response. From the restart, Matthew Barbolini led a 2v1 and delivered a perfect pass to Ryan Tverberg, who was stopped by a good pad save from Cal Petersen.
Akhtyamov kept the game tied with three quality saves from close range, none better than the stop on Jean-Luc Foudy as the Iowa forward attempted to score top-shelf from the doorstep.
One of the Marlies‘ fourth line’s many energetic shifts resulted in the go-ahead goal and eventual game-winner. Marc Johnstone and Michael Pezzetta recovered possession behind the Wild net before the former sent the puck back to the point. Blake Smith’s shot handcuffed Petersen as Pezzetta engaged in a battle in the crease.
Toronto killed a pair of penalties and generated some scoring chances late in the frame. Noah Chadwick and Bo Groulx combined to good effect, but the former couldn’t convert the chance. After Haymes and Alex Nylander were stopped on the power play, the Marlies were forced to settle for a one-goal lead entering the final frame.
Third Period
After an early power play for Toronto, the Wild drove the play at five-on-five, dominating possession and the shot clock. The Marlies killed three penalties and produced a stellar defensive effort to keep Iowa to the outside.
The one time the Wild did get inside, Bradley Marek was robbed in the slot by Akhtyamov. Toronto’s netminder stopped all 13 shots he faced, most of which he accomplished while peering through traffic as Iowa swarmed the crease with regularity.
The Marlies killed off a 6v4 late in the frame and then the 6v5 situation to secure a 2-1 victory and claim a much-needed weekend sweep.
Post Game Notes
– The Marlies went 0-for-3 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, which has now killed 14 in a row. Iowa outshot Toronto 37-23.
“[The PK] is exactly why we won this game,” said Gruden. “They do what they’re supposed to do. They block shots and do all of the things that don’t show up on the score sheet, but as a coaching staff and their teammates, everyone knows it. That is the bright spot, for sure, of this game. It is trending, and the PK is huge for momentum swings for your hockey club.”
– This was a very mature performance from Artur Akhtyamov, who made 36 saves for the victory. His puck tracking and ability to fight through traffic were particularly impressive. The only time he was beaten was when Iowa managed to completely take his eyes away. Akhtyamov is now 6-3-0 this season with a 2.56 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. He is 3-1-0 this season when facing 30 or more shots.
“Arty was a bright spot, for sure,” said Gruden. “You can see his confidence. He looked pretty comfortable in that net in a tight game. He was seeing a lot of shots. Some of them weren’t grade-A chances, but he had to fight through to see because they were throwing a lot of pucks and bodies to the net. Sometimes, that is even harder than the Grade-As. He battled really well through it and tracked the puck really well.”
– Blake Smith became the fifth Marlies defenseman to hit the twine this season, recording his first professional goal. With the opening goal, William Villenueve took his weekend haul to three points (1/G2A) and his season tally to 11 points in 17 games.
“It is nice for those guys to get rewarded because it has been a grind at times for these young defensemen,” said Gruden. “It is nothing special. It is just getting pucks to the net, making sure they don’t get blocked by the first tier of defenders, and then having someone at the front of the net. It’s always nice for a defenseman to score.”
– Sunday’s lineup:
Forwards
Valis – Shaw – Boyd
Nylander – Groulx – Lettieri
Barbolini – Haymes – Tverberg
Pezzetta – Johnstone – Johnson
Defensemen
Thrun – Villeneuve
Webber – Chadwick
Smith – Sharpe
Goaltenders
Akhtyamov
Peksa
