“We just can’t afford to spot a desperate hockey team three goals. Turning pucks over and losing assignments [cost the team]. I like our push back [in the second period], but then we take penalties… We’re going to wash this one away, and we still have to learn from it because if we want to be the team we want to be, we still have to do some things better.”
– John Gruden
Back on the road following a five-game homestand, the Toronto Marlies produced a lacklustre start against a Rochester team desperate for points in the playoff race. The Marlies deservedly trailed 3-0 after 30 minutes, having failed to match the Amerks’ desperation, and ultimately fell to a 5-2 defeat.
First Period
The Amerks were handed an early confidence boost with the opening goal 93 seconds into the game. After Cedric Pare couldn’t settle down the puck in the middle of the defensive zone, the Amerks recovered possession and fired a shot toward the net, where Carson Meyer gained inside positioning on William Villeneuve and tipped in the puck from right in front of Dennis Hildeby.
The Marlies‘ inability to match the home team’s intensity was apparent in the buildup to the second goal. The Marlies were hemmed in the defensive zone for almost a minute and turned the puck over twice on breakout attempts. Zac Jones looked set to shoot from the left circle, but after Blake Smith lost inside positioning on Matteo Costantini, Jones found his teammate for a tap-in.
Down 2-0 inside six minutes, the Marlies needed to turn the tide quickly. An opportunity arrived on the power play, where Alex Nylander should have scored with half the net to aim into, but he hesitated as a shot blocker sprawled out in front of him. Goaltender Devon Levi also stopped Bo Groulx from close range.
The Marlies generated two more high-danger chances despite playing like the second-best team. A great shift from the fourth line was halted by a dumb penalty by Brandon Baddock, the first but not the last one from the Marlies in this game. On the resulting penalty kill, Ryan Tverberg went on a shorthanded breakaway but flubbed on his five-hole attempt.
Late in the frame, Rochester backed off the on-rushing Logan Shaw, allowing Toronto’s captain some space in the high slot, but Shaw didn’t trouble Levi much with his shot.
Second Period
With some harsh words from their coach likely ringing in their ears, the Marlies came out with the kind of pace and intensity that was sorely missing in the first period. High-danger chances for Groulx and John Prokop weren’t taken advantage of inside the opening three minutes as Rochetser survived the early Toronto push.
After establishing themselves in the game, the Marlies were caught scrambling in their own zone when Rochester scored a third goal five minutes later. Dennis Hildeby produced a brilliant double save, but it was for nought after Anton Wahlberg walked out front and scored his seventh goal of the season.
Toronto continued to squander Grade-A scoring chances, the next coming on the power play at the midway mark. Tverberg’s drive to the net produced a rebound that Nylander couldn’t force past a sprawling Levi.
A glimmer of hope arrived with seven minutes remaining when three rookies combined to put Toronto on the board. Blake Smith won a battle in the defensive zone and sprung Landon Sim, who exited the zone with speed. Sim burst between Amerks defenders in the neutral zone to create an odd-man situation and dished off to Brandon Buhr, who reciprocated with a nicely weighted pass to send Sim through alone on Levi. Sim’s forehand to backhand move and top-shelf finish was just the shot in the arm Toronto required.
It certainly inspired Borya Valis, who drew a penalty by going the extra mile when battling down low. His work winning puck battles along the boards is an underrated part of his game. With two seconds remaining on the man advantage, Valis snuck a shot through traffic and Levi to bring Toronto within one.
Two goals inside three minutes should have turned the game on its head. Instead, the Marlies took a pair of penalties, undermining their hopes of a comeback.
Third Period
Toronto negated a minute of the penalty either side of the intermission, but within three seconds of Marc Johnstone exiting the box, Tverberg was tagged for a clear holding infraction. The Marlies shot themselves in the foot by giving up a breakaway, and Trevor Kuntar gratefully accepted another gift from the Marlies.
Rochester should have put the game out of reach four minutes later, but Jagger Joshua fired high on a breakaway following a misplay by Prokop.
The Marlies wasted two more power plays, but it was fair to complain about an early whistle that took away a goal. The officials made a mistake when Ben King shot a clearly uncovered puck into the net. With 9:30 remaining, it’s possible Toronto may have found a tying goal, but they couldn’t feel too hard done by, knowing the quality of their performance.
The Marlies mustered eight shots in the final frame, although nothing came particularly close to a quality scoring chance, as they fired some hopeful attempts from the outside. Riley Fiddler-Schultz scored an empty-net goal with 62 seconds left on the clock to round out the scoring as Rochester secured a critical two points.
Post Game Notes
– The Marlies went 1-for-5 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill, and they’ve now recorded power-play goals (six) in five consecutive games.
– Vinni Borgesi’s first professional point was a secondary assist on the Marlies’ power-play goal. It was another tough game for the newcomers to make a positive impact, but Brandon Buhr made some nice plays, including on Toronto’s opening goal.
– This was the final regular-season meeting between the two teams. Toronto’s record against Rochester finished at 3-2-1.
– Injury Updates: Matthew Barbolini (lower body, day-to-day); Matt Benning (upper body, week-to-week); Noah Chadwick (upper body, day-to-day); Luke Haymes (illness, day-to-day); Vinni Lettieri (upper body, day-to-day), Dakota Mermis (upper body, day-to-day); Marshall Rifai (lower body, week-to-week); Cade Webber (upper body, week-to-week)
– Friday’s lineup:
Forwards
Nylander – Shaw – Tverberg
Paré – Groulx – Valis
Sim – King – Buhr
Baddock – Johnstone – Johnson
Defensemen
Prokop – Villenueve
Thrun – Borgesi
Smith – Sharpe
Goaltenders
Hildeby
Akhtyamov
