“I thought we played pretty well. They capitalized on two or three of our mistakes and we [have to] live with it. We had some really good scoring chances. I think we just have to stick with it.”
– Bo Groulx
“We did a lot of good things, and we started well. A lot to like, a lot to build from. Obviously, the result we don’t like, but it’s the first game, and this is going to be a long series.”
– John Gruden
So close, yet so far. The Toronto Marlies delivered a performance full of endeavour and physicality. Laval was more clinical when it mattered, pouncing on two defensive-zone turnovers by Michael Pezzetta and Easton Cowan to take a 2-0 lead the Marlies couldn’t overcome.
First Period
The Marlies came out of the gates hot and went toe-to-toe with Laval in a fast-paced start to the series. Toronto sent a message right away about what Laval could expect in this matchup, equalling their physicality early.
A sharp save from Dennis Hildeby on Laurent Dauphin was quickly followed by a penalty as Laval’s penalty tendencies from the regular season continued into the start of their playoffs. A power play four minutes in was the ideal time for Toronto to not only take the lead but send a warning shot across the bow to an overly aggressive opponent.
The Marlies worked a one-timer to Bo Groulx in the right circle — as he said in the post-game interview, “it’s my spot” — and while he didn’t bury the chance, the Marlies were handed a 5-on-3 for 52 seconds after a brain-dead delay-of-game penalty. Groulx had an identical chance, which was gloved, but in truth, the Marlies didn’t do enough to stretch the Rocket’s penalty kill while recording three shots on goal.
Back at five-on-five, Laval took the lead with eight minutes remaining. Michael Pezzetta inexplicably turned the puck over from below the goal line straight to Florian Xhekaj, who delivered a quality finish into the roof of the net.
Less than a minute later, the Rocket nearly doubled their lead. Hildeby stopped up with a brilliant double save from point-blank range on Jared Davidson and Vinzenz Rohrer.
The Marlies generated two late-period chances to tie the game. Marc Johnstone’s excellent work set up a chance for Reese Johnson in the slot, but the finishing attempt by the scorer of only 19 AHL career goals didn’t solve Kaapo Kähkönen. The second chance fell to Luke Haymes, who didn’t get enough on his shot to trouble the Laval netminder.
Second Period
The middle frame was especially frustrating from the Marlies’ standpoint. They wasted a power play just 50 seconds into the second, throwing away early momentum. Marshall Rifai committed two undisciplined penalties, further putting Toronto on the back foot.
Untested on the first PK, Hildeby produced three quality saves on the second penalty to keep Laval at bay. The Marlies slowly started to turn the tide from that point on, but frustratingly, they couldn’t translate it into a tying goal.
With Laval caught on a change, Rifai’s stretch pass sent Johnson on a breakaway, but Kähkönen made the glove save. That chance set the table for a dominant top line shift that had Laval reeling. Despite swarming the net, Toronto couldn’t find a way through, with Bo Groulx denied for a third time on a one-time effort. Kähkönen also stopped Alex Nylander, Vinni Lettieri, and Rifai on high-danger chances inside the final two minutes, as Laval survived a huge push from the Marlies to hold onto their 1-0 lead through 40 minutes.
Third Period
Buoyed by an extremely loud crowd, Laval dictated play for the majority of the final frame. David Reinbacher smashed a shot off the crossbar after Rifai lost an edge, and Alex Belzile was the next Rocket to threaten before Laval doubled their lead at the six-minute mark.
Easton Cowan was the guilty party on this occasion, as he didn’t make a solid play on the puck along the defensive-zone wall, leading to a turnover. Joshua Roy made him pay with a shot into the roof of the net that might have taken a deflection on the way in.
Hildeby continued to excel despite conceding the second goal, making several key saves to keep Toronto in the game.
It took the Marlies almost 14 minutes to record a first shot of the third period, but their second shot found the net to halve the deficit and set up an intense finish. Picking up his first professional playoff point on the play, Luke Haymes’ effort was deflected by Cédric Paré in front, looped up and over Kähkönen, and dropped over the goal line.
The Marlies huffed and puffed but couldn’t generate anything of note before pulling Hildeby with 2:25 remaining. There would be no dramatic comeback, though, after Groulx couldn’t settle a bouncing puck as the last man back, presenting Blais with the easiest of empty-net goals.
***
Game 1 lineup:
Forwards
Groulx – Shaw – Lettieri
Cowan – Quillan – Tverberg
Pare – Haymes – Nylander
Pezzetta – Johnstone – Johnson
Defensemen
Rifai – Thrun
Mermis – Villeneuve
Chadwick – Sharpe
Goalies
Hildeby
Akhtyamov
