“We started pretty well, came out a little flat in the third, but just stayed with it to win a close one.”
– Ryan Tverberg
“I thought we started well in the first and started well in the second. The fight gave us some momentum, and we scored a couple of big goals back-to-back within 30 seconds. We did a lot of the right things. I really liked our game.”
– John Gruden
This was a comeback victory that should not have been necessary for the Toronto Marlies. Over 40 minutes, the Marlies were excellent value for their 2-0 lead and should have been ahead by more than two goals. Suddenly, a sloppy start and a 40-second brainfart resulted in Laval taking a 3-2 lead with 13 minutes remaining. A late power-play strike from an unfamiliar source and success in the skills competition allowed the Marlies to rescue a much-needed two points.
First Period
Elevated to the first line, Ryan Tverberg made an immediate impact and should have been rewarded on the scoreboard inside 80 seconds. Bo Groulx fired wide from the slot on a feed from Logan Shaw, who kept the play alive after Tverberg’s solo drive to the net. On the same shift, Tverberg reacted first to a rebound from Shaw’s shot but planted his effort off the post.
Toronto’s relentless forecheck and pace of play had Laval on the back foot in the opening frame. Alex Nylander pounced on a Laval mistake to generate a partial breakaway, but he couldn’t solve Jacob Fowler. The same fate befell Marc Johnstone, who was sent in alone after a pinpoint stretch pass by Dakota Mermis.
The Marlies generated just a single chance on the game’s first power play, for Luke Haymes between the dots. Fowler was otherwise untested and kept his clean sheet for the remainder of the opening frame.
At the other end, after seeing little action for much of the period, Dennis Hildeby was forced into three sharp saves on Laurent Dauphin, Joshua Roy, and Filip Mešár inside the final five minutes.
Second Period
A wild opening minute started with Marc Johnstone dropping the gloves with Florian Xhekaj 11 seconds into the middle frame. Johnstone acquitted himself well and inspired his teammates when play resumed.
A stretch pass by Tverberg sent Groulx away with one defender to beat. Groulx opted to shoot early from just above the left faceoff dot and caught Fowler cold with a far-side finish, beating the goalie’s glove hand.
Tverberg was also the creator of the Marlies‘ second goal. His forechecking effort sent Groulx in behind the Laval defense, but this time, Fowler made a tremendous save from point-blank range. Nate Clurman barrelled Groulx through the blue paint, wiping out Fowler and knocking the goaltender’s helmet off in the process. Play continued, and Shaw fired the puck into the open net despite vehement protests from the Rocket.
The Marlies wasted a pair of 2v1 opportunities with the period not even five minutes old. Cedric Paré attempted to wait out a slide by the last Laval defenseman and ended up getting a weak shot off. On an odd-man rush with Shaw, Groulx passed when he should have shot, and Fowler wasn’t forced into a save.
Toronto could have built a sizeable lead, as high-danger scoring chances for Borya Valis and Luke Haymes also weren’t converted into a third goal. Tverberg showed he was equally capable at the other end of the ice when the Rocket threatened to score in transition; a tremendous shot block from the diminutive forward denied a likely Laval goal.
The Rocket began to find their game after surviving the early barrage, generating some promising looks without turning those into Grade-A scoring chances. Laval then earned a power play when Jacob Quillan crashed the net and accidentally bumped Fowler in the process. The Laval netminder took umbrage as he headed for the bench, throwing a shot Quillan’s way as he passed by, which the officials let slide.
Laval didn’t threaten with the extra skater, and Toronto should have scored when Quillan exited the box, setting a 3v1 in motion. Groulx had two Grade-A chances he couldn’t bury.
The Marlies’ leading scorer could and should have ended this contest with a hatful of goals in the game. Tverberg capitalized on a sloppy line change, generating a 2v1, pulling up to find Groulx, and laying the chance on a platter, but Fowler robbed Groulx from close range. On the same shift, Quillan teed up Valis, who couldn’t finish off a bouncing puck.
In another relatively quiet period for Hildeby (six shots), the big Swede made an excellent late save on Xhekaj.
Third Period
Despite the unfortunate nature of Laval’s quick strike in the third period, it was also the result of a sloppy start by Toronto. On a dump-in play, Blake Smith rang the puck around the boards straight back to Laval. Johnstone tipped Xhekaj’s speculative shot through Hildeby’s five-hole with no other traffic in front of the goaltender.
Toronto killed off a penalty thanks in part to a tremendous shot block by Michael Pezzetta, but the tide was beginning to turn. Two Laval goals, just 38 seconds apart at the six-minute mark, turned the game on its head.
Henry Thrun sent his weak backhand pass from below the goal line into Jared Davidson’s skates. The puck diverted to Vincent Arseneau, who scored from the slot. It was a low-percentage, dangerous play in his own zone from a defenseman who should know better.
The Marlies didn’t respond well, giving up a sloppy third goal. They chased the puck around the defensive zone before Alex Belzile, with space at the back post, delivered a perfect redirect finish on a pass by David Reinbacher.
Up 3-2, Laval was content to contain Toronto, with the Marlies offering little offensively. Toronto mustered a handful of shots in the following 10 minutes, but none of them threatened Fowler. There was no quit from the Marlies, however, and Paré drew a penalty with 3:38 remaining.
There should have been two more calls on the delayed penalty, but the officials opted to ignore blatant infractions on Quillan and Haymes, much to the frustration of the SBA crowd. The Marlies struggled to generate legitimate scoring chances and went for broke with 25 seconds left on the penalty by pulling Hildeby.
It paid dividends. Alex Nylander pulled the puck out of a scrum in the left corner and found Noah Chadwick, who delivered a pass into the wheelhouse of Paré in the right circle. The centerman isn’t known for his scoring prowess, but he got all of his shot, powering the puck past Fowler, who did get a piece of it before it fell behind him into the net.
Overtime/Shootout
Overtime was mostly a cagey affair, although both teams had the opportunity to clinch the extra point.
Hildeby came up clutch with a huge double save on Xhekaj. Seconds later, Quillan escaped on a breakaway but saw his low finish well saved by Fowler. After picking up the rebound, Quillan didn’t know whether to stick or twist, and by the time he made up his mind to pass, a sliding Laval defenseman broke up the play.
The shootout lasted four rounds. Hildeby stood tall to keep Laval at bay and preserve his impressive record in the skills competition (five wins in six shootouts). Nylander stepped up with a nice move to round Fowler before scoring on his backhand to secure a crucial extra point for the Marlies’ playoff push.
Post Game Notes
– This wasn’t the easiest game for Dennis Hildeby to navigate. There was a lack of action for 40 minutes, and then he was hung out to dry in the opening six minutes of the third period. It was a mature performance that showed why he’s gained some traction at the NHL level this season. Per Marlies PR: “[Hildeby] is 4-0-2 at Scotiabank Arena as a Marlie with a 1.77 goals against average & a .924 save percentage.”
– I make no apologies for my Ryan Tverberg fandom, and he rewarded John Gruden for the faith shown with the first-line promotion. He offered a different dimension — speed and tenacity — alongside Logan Shaw and Bo Groulx. That’s not to ignore his playmaking abilities, either, as he played a key role in the opening two goals. Tverberg has four points (1G/3A) in his last four games. Groulx deservedly handed Tverberg the team belt in the locker room after the game.
“We figured, with Lettieri out, we’d give [Tverberg] that opportunity,” said Gruden. “I thought he took full advantage of it. He looked like he belonged.”
– Bo Groulx moved up to eighth in the AHL in goals with his 22nd of the season. He should have scored a hat-trick in this outing, but you can’t complain about his current run of offensive form with six points in three games (2G/4A).
“I think [Groulx] has done a really good job of controlling his emotions and being a 200-foot player,” said Gruden. “We can put him in all situations. I feel comfortable with him. He continues to grow as a player. He is 25 or 26, but at the end of the day, he still wants to get to the NHL. He is working on those habits and those things that will help him get there. He’s shown improvement, and he has been a big part of our group. He’s scored some big goals and is doing it all for us.”
– Injury Updates: Travis Boyd — lower body, long term; Vinni Lettieri — upper body, day-to-day.
– Monday’s lineup:
Forwards
Groulx – Shaw – Tverberg
Nylander – Quillan – Valis
Barbolini – Haymes – Paré
Pezzetta – Johnstone – Johnson
Defensemen
Thrun – Chadwick
Rifai – Mermis
Smith – Benning
Goalies
Hildeby
Akhtyamov
