“We’ve been through that scenario a bunch in the past. We’re very comfortable being in those situations, so we had a good mindset going into the [third period].”
— Ryan Tverberg on Toronto trailing after two periods
The Toronto Marlies’ power play came up clutch in the third period as they mounted a come-from-behind 5-3 victory over Hershey on Friday. It was all the more impressive against a Bears team that had won five of the last six with its penalty kill clicking at 89%.
First Period
After slow starts against Rockford last weekend, the Marlies came out on the front foot. The top line set the table 70 seconds in, teeing up a chance for the pinching Noah Chadwick. The defenseman semi-fanned on the high-slot chance, but the intent was positive. Logan Shaw and Landon Sim couldn’t bury Grade-A chances in the next few minutes as the Marlies carried the play without reward.
Sim made a notable impact in the opening frame in more ways than one. After winning possession in two battles, he freed Matthew Barbolini, who drove across the crease and was denied by an excellent save. Marc Johnstone’s attempt to jam home the rebound in the ensuing melee was also stopped, but he drew a penalty in the process.
During the power play, Henrik Rybinski was targeted behind the goal line. It would have been a 5-on-3 power play for Toronto, but Sim stepped up to protect his teammate. The Toronto forward comprehensively won the fight with Ryan Chesley but was assessed a worthwhile instigator penalty, preventing a two-man advantage.
The period turned on a crucial passage of play at the midway mark. David Gucciardi split the Marlies’ defense with a simple forward pass, sending Sam Bitten in alone. After a brilliant save from Samuel Hlavaj, the Marlies transitioned the other way and scored. Borya Valis raced away down the right side and roofed a shot past Cal Petersen.
The Marlies limited Hershey to three shots, and Hlavaj didn’t face any rubber during a dominant penalty kill. At five-on-five, Toronto carried the play without netting an insurance marker. Ryan Tverberg fired wide from the slot, and Rybinski struck the iron with a quick release from the high slot.
Second Period
A dubious call on Blake Smith in the dying seconds of the first period hurt Toronto early in the middle frame. Wide open in the slot, Josh Dunne connected sweetly on a one-timer that hit the leg of Bogdan Trineyev before trickling over the goal line.
Hershey drew life from the power-play goal and dominated the second period against a reeling Toronto. Hlavaj was the difference maker, turning aside 16 shots, including four high-danger chances for Hershey.
The Marlies’ attacking forays were limited, but they generated two Grade-A chances: Aatu Räty struck the post while Tverberg couldn’t finish off a 2v1 shorthanded rush he created.
The Bears deservedly took the lead late in the frame when they struck with the man advantage for a second time. Dunne scored on a rebound off Jonny Brodzinski’s shot.
Third Period
The Marlies drew a penalty 22 seconds in and scored exactly a minute later. It wasn’t a prototypical power-play goal, as Brendan Brisson lost the handle in the neutral zone. The puck fell kindly for Valis, who surged through the middle of the ice and split the Bears’ defense. His initial shot was stopped, but the puck rebounded into the net off Jacob MacDonald.
Valis drew a penalty while tying the game, sending Toronto immediately back to the power play. The Marlies passed the puck around the Hershey PK, waiting for the seam to open up. Brisson threaded a backdoor feed for Tverberg to redirect off his left skate.
Brodzinski should have tied the game with nine minutes remaining, but he missed an open net, a chance generated by Cade Webber’s giveaway. It got worse for the big defenseman as more mistakes on his next shift led to Hershey tying the game. After getting outbattled in the corner, Webber got outmuscled at the net front by Spencer Smallman, who finished the rebound.
The new-look third line got the Marlies back on track by drawing a tripping penalty through a retrieval and sustained time in the zone. Logan Shaw made sure those efforts didn’t go to waste by netting on the power play. Tveberg said it looked like a video game goal in his post-game comments; Shaw scored on his own rebound with a second blistering one-time shot from the left circle.
In the following five minutes, the Marlies didn’t give up a single shot on goal, even when Hershey pulled Petersen. With the game in the balance, Reece Johnson’s extra effort dispossessed Brodzinski as he crossed the Toronto blue line. After Myers seized on the loose puck in the right circle and lofted a clearance high into the neutral zone, the puck found the empty net with a favourable skip and a bounce to secure the 5-3 victory.
Post-Game Notes
- The Marlies were 3-for-6 on the power play and 4-for-6 on the penalty kill. Toronto last scored three or more power-play goals on Jan. 17, 2026, against Iowa. “We knew that Hershey was pretty hot (on the PK) coming in,” said head coach Steve Sullivan. “We had a good pre-scout, and I thought we had some really good, predictable movement. They knew what they were trying to do, and they executed. They were a massive reason why we came out with two points.”
- After one point (assist) in nine games, you could have forgiven Borya Valis for a lack of confidence. He was rewarded for making high-percentage plays and for a shoot-first mentality.
- William who? I jest, of course, but Vinny Borgesi hit a small milestone by recording his first three-point haul (3A). He’s ranked seventh in points among defensemen and second among rookie D-men, with eight (1G/7A) in seven games.
- It hasn’t been pretty at times, but Samuel Hlavaj is currently finding a way to make timely saves. His second-period performance kept Toronto in the game. Hlavaj stopped 28 of 31 shots to record a fourth successive win. “Goaltending is a big part of most of the wins you get, and you don’t realize it until you don’t have a good goalie in the net,” said Sullivan. “We’re really happy with the saves Sammy made for us. He kept us in there and kept it really close for us.”
- There’s a lot of hype around Landon Sim of late. This is mostly because he’s landed some big hits and won some fights. For the most part, his performances outside of that haven’t been up to scratch. Sim needs to generate more offense (1G in 10 games) to go with the admirable truculence. For balance, he was better in this game and found chemistry alongside Matthew Barbolini and Marc Johnstone. “[Sim] is a big part of the dressing room,” said Sullivan. “He understands his role and what is needed from him in regards to momentum changes. In that instance, someone took advantage of a teammate, and he just jumps in and takes care of it. It is hard to find those guys. We appreciate what he does on a regular basis. It is outstanding.”
- Ryan Tverberg registered his first multi-point haul (1G/1A) this year. It didn’t really click for him on a line with Logan Shaw and Brendan Brisson. Second-line duties on his off-wing with Räty and Valis did the trick, as Tverberg drove the line.
- He was fine in the first period, but thereafter Cade Webber struggled in his season debut. Plenty of slack should be afforded to him, given it’s his first game since the first week of March.
- With the Royal Winter Fair in town, the Marlies will play the next six games on the road.
Toronto Marlies Lines
Select a player name to view their card.
Forwards
| Line | Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 90Brendan Brisson | 11Logan Shaw C | 54Henrik Rybinski |
| 2 | 77Ryan Tverberg | 26Aatu Raty | 39Borya Valis |
| 3 | 42Landon Sim | 57Marc Johnstone A | 68Matthew Barbolini |
| 4 | 61Michael Pezzetta | 67Sam Stevens | 58Reese Johnson |
Defense
| Pair | Left Defense | Right Defense |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 58Noah Chadwick | 38Ben Danford |
| 2 | 52Cade Webber | 51Philippe Myers |
| 3 | 59Blake Smith | 25Vinny Borgesi |
Goaltenders
| 31Samuel Hlavaj | Starter |
| 70Artur Akhtyamov 🏆 | Backup |
