“It’s a great experience for us to understand that [Laval] is not going to stop. When we get into those pressure moments, we have to be able to make plays, but we broke down. We got away from protecting the middle of the ice.”
– John Gruden
“It took him a period to get adjusted, but once he did get adjusted, you can see how he can affect a hockey game. He’s definitely brought some life and energy into our group, and some confidence. I know he’s a winner, so his coming down is going to elevate him and our team as well.”
– Gruden on Easton Cowan
Bolstered by reinforcements, the Toronto Marlies raced out to a 4-0 lead in the opening 40 minutes against Laval. Clinical finishing and excellent goaltending appeared to have secured the two points, but missed opportunities to pad the lead only fed the hopes of the Rocket, who almost pulled off a dramatic late comeback in this 4-3 Toronto win on Saturday.
First Period
The pace was frantic from the opening puck drop, with Toronto looking more likely to score early. Jacob Quillan and Ryan Tverberg were a whisker away from connecting inside 30 seconds as the Marlies swarmed the Laval zone.
The early pressure drew a penalty and led to the opening goal just before the three-minute mark. From the top of the left circle, Alex Nylander faked a pass back to the point and sent a shot-pass to the slot, where Jacob Quillan beat Kaapo Kähkönen with a deft redirect.
On the front foot, the Marlies drew a second penalty but struggled on their second power-play opportunity. Both units were disjointed, and Dennis Hildeby was forced into an excellent stop on Alex Belzile to prevent a shorthanded goal.
The game continued at a high pace at five-on-five, but neither team could exert sustained offensive pressure. Laval started to gain control of the game by feasting on some sloppy Toronto breakouts, but they couldn’t make it count on the scoreboard. Dennis Hildeby stepped up against William Trudeau on the only two Grade-A chances generated for the Rocket through the opening frame.
Against the run of play, the Marlies scored a late period goal to deflate the Rocket. Vinni Lettieri delivered a hit to secure possession in the neutral zone and sent Bo Groulx away on a 2v1. With Matt Benning to his right, Groulx made the correct decision to shoot, snapping the puck by Kähkönen to score Toronto’s second goal on their fourth shot with three seconds remaining in the opening frame.
Second Period
Laval roared out of the gates in search of the crucial next goal. They dominated the opening five minutes and drove hard to the net, taking liberties with Hildeby at every opportunity.
A misplay by Noah Chadwick should have been punished by Joshua Roy but his five-hole finishing attmept was well saved by Hildeby. Hildeby went on to deny Roy twice more and Belzile once as the Rocket could not make good on their high-danger scoring chances.
After withstanding an early barrage, the Marlies worked their way back into the game, giving up no further quality scoring chances and finishing the period on top. Toronto ramped up the pressure in the final five minutes; Nylander and Luke Haymes couldn’t beat Kähkönen, and after Easton Cowan’s highlight-reel dangle created space for himself at the hashmarks, his finish didn’t match the initial move.
Solid defensive work led to the Marlies’ third goal. After shutting down a Laval attack, Matt Benning got his head up and sent Cowan away with a long stretch pass. A pump fake and a forehand finish through the five-hole from the rookie winger beat Kähkönen all ends up.
GIDDY UP COWBOY! 🤠
Easton Cowan scores on the breakaway to make it 3-0! pic.twitter.com/vsQllqIGvD
— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) April 18, 2026
After scoring with a little over two minutes remaining, the Marlies weren’t done, netting a fourth with 32 seconds left on the clock. Ryan Tverberg, in some space in the right circle, was picked out by Dakota Mermis and drove across the slot. He was poised and patient when Kähkönen flew out to challenge him, chipping the puck in behind the netminder on his backhand.
Third Period
The Marlies should have come close to scoring a touchdown, but the clinical touch from the previous 40 minutes deserted them. Nylander fired wide from the slot after more good work from Cowan to generate the opportunity. A consistent threat throughout, Cowan had Grade-A chance but couldn’t lift his effort over the shoulder of Kähkönen.
Slowly but surely, the tide started to turn, as the Marlies became content to sit back with their sizable lead. There looked to be little danger until a remarkable final five minutes when they sagged back and Laval almost forced the game into overtime.
A failure to clear the defensive zone on three occasions proved costly as incessant pressure finally broke through. After Sean Farrell won a puck battle against Cowan along the wall, the Laval forward cut inside Benning and broke Hildeby’s shutout bid.
Laval then struck on the power play through Sammy Blais, halving the deficit with 1:35 remaining. Time to panic? It should have been a wake-up call at least, but the Marlies didn’t stiffen up.
With Kähkönen pulled for the extra attacker, Laval struck with 52 seconds left. Owen Beck rounded Benning from the left wing, drove to the crease, and scored on his own rebound under little pressure.
Despite out-shooting the Marlies 18-1 in the final frame (37-14 in the game overall), Laval could not find a tying goal as Toronto clung on for a regulation victory.
Post Game Notes
– Dennis Hildeby was robbed of a shutout but that in no way detracts from an excellent performance. He turned aside 35 of 38 shots and should have been the game’s first star. He’s finding his form with the playoffs around the corner.
– With a two point haul (1G/1A), Ryan Tverberg reached a new single-season career high with 34 points. His 15 goals in 62 games eclipses his total through his previous 99 AHL appearances (13 goals).
– Alex Nylander appeared to enjoy his role as the senior player on a line alongside Easton Cowan and Luke Haymes. The Swedish forward registered two assists and is riding a five game point streak (4G/4A).
– The Cowboy rode into town and made a big impact after a few tentative shifts. The chemistry wasn’t instant, but Easton Cowan’s energy and offensive skill had a positive impact on the Marlies. The finish for his first AHL goal was box office and there is definitely more to come as he finds more chemistry and timing with new teammates.
“It took him a period to get adjusted, once he got adjusted, you saw how [Cowan] can affect a hockey game,” said Gruden. “He does a lot of good things. He plays hard away from the puck. He brought some energy and life into our group, and some confidence. I know he is a winner. Him coming down is just going to elevate him and our group.”
– John Gruden provided more details about Miroslav Holinka‘s decision to return home for the offseason instead of joining the Marlies’ playoff campaign: “He’s a young man who has had a long year away from his homeland, being in Edmonton all year. They figured it would be best for him to go home, refresh, and make sure he is ready to go for the upcoming season. By being here for two weeks, as he was, it will be an important part of his development.”
– THE MARLIES’ FIRST-ROUND PLAYOFF SCHEDULE VS. THE ROCHESTER AMERICANS IS NOW AVAILABLE.
– Saturday’s lineup:
Forwards
Groulx – Shaw – Lettieri
Cowan – Haymes – Nylander
Barbolini – Quillan – Tverberg
Paré – Johnstone – Johnson
Defensemen
Thrun – Benning
Mermis – Villeneuve
Chadwick – Smith
Goaltenders
Hildeby
Akhtyamov
