“We didn’t get away from our system and structure, and that’s what kept us in it. We just chipped away. We have a good belief in the dressing room, and that’s a big win for us.”
– Logan Shaw
“We played a pretty strong game. We killed some penalties there and got away from our rhythm a little bit. Our bench was positive, and big players made big plays at the right time.”
– John Gruden
In the final regular-season meeting between the teams, the Toronto Marlies prevailed over Cleveland 4-2 despite falling behind 2-1 in the third period. Without a bunch of key players due to call-ups and injuries, the Marlies showed the type of resilience you like to see down the stretch ahead of the playoffs.
First Period
Penalty trouble put Toronto on the back foot in the opening frame. William Villenueve got himself in trouble with sloppy footwork when collecting a dump-in, taking a hooking penalty as he scrambled after a turnover.
Dennis Hildeby made an excellent save on Brendan Gaunce, and Noah Chadwick and Henry Thrun both put their bodies on the line to block shots as the Marlies looked set to kill off the penalty. With one second remaining, though, Zach Aston-Reese spun to the front of the net and banked the puck past Hildeby — one that the Swedish netminder would likely want back, but it was a good play by ZAR, who had some extra time and space as Thrun was recovering from a shot block.
Hildeby’s ability to shrug goals off this season has been commendable, so it was no surprise when he bounced back with a stunning save on James Malatesta from the slot at the six-minute mark.
The Marlies‘ one chance of note in the first 10 minutes fell to Michael Pezzetta. Back from the NHL, Pezzetta couldn’t get enough on his shot from point-blank range following a good pass by Matthew Barbolini.
On their second penalty kill of the period, the Marlies looked more likely to score. Logan Shaw was stopped after initial good work from Thrun, and Marc Johnstone produced a burst of speed to get by two defenders, but his cross-slot feed to find Ryan Tverberg didn’t quite connect.
The third penalty of the period was a bad call against Villenueve, one that would have been waived off if video review were an option. Thankfully, it didn’t cost the home team in front of a decent afternoon crowd at Scotiabank Arena.
The 7,000+ in attendance didn’t have much to cheer about, outside of the play of Hildeby, until the final two minutes of the opening frame. Tverberg was the catalyst as Toronto swarmed the Monsters’ net; he was stopped twice, and so was Ben King, who looked a sure bet to score on a rebound. For now, the luck of the Irish was on Cleveland’s side.
Second Period
After Luke Haymes drew an early interference penalty, the Marlies struck 2:25 into the second period. The power play looked like a different beast with its puck movement, and while Haymes couldn’t finish from the slot on a brilliant feed from Tverberg, the goal felt inevitable. Shaw made a nice move on the left to take two Cleveland killers out of the play and send the puck to Villenueve. The defenseman faked a slap shot before finding Nylander, who took a few strides and sized up his shot: far side past the challenging Ivan Fedotov at the top of his blue paint.
Hildeby kept the game tied with four key saves in two minutes. He rejected Luca Del Bel Belluz, Dysin Mayo, Luca Pinelli, and Luca Marrelli all before the eight-minute mark. The Swedish netminder faced just one more shot in the second period.
Pezetta, Johnstone (SH breakaway), and Haymes couldn’t beat Fedotov from the slot, but many of Toronto’s attacks were one-and-done, with little in the way of sustained pressure. Chadwick was a little unfortunate to see his shot deflected as the trailer on a play orchestrated by Shaw and Nylander.
With the period set to end in a tie, Cleveland almost gifted Toronto a tying goal in the final 90 seconds. Fedotov caught a dump-in by Johnstone and attempted to keep the play alive, but he handed possession directly to Johnstone, who would have scored on the turn if not for an outstanding goal-line block by Mikael Pyyhtiä.
Third Period
The first 11 minutes of the final frame were tightly contested, as both teams were aware of the significance of the two points. Cleveland generated a couple of good looks for Marrelli and Owen Sillenger, while Logan Shaw had an opportunity from the high slot. Both goaltenders remained unfazed.
With eight minutes remaining, a giveaway by Blake Smith looked like it might be the critical mistake that decided the game, but Hildeby robbed the normally deadly Roman Ahcan. It only delayed a Cleveland go-ahead goal for 30 seconds, though, due to a breakdown in defensive coverage. Under no pressure, Del Bel Belluz dangled the pants off Hildeby and slid the puck in behind the netminder for a highlight-reel goal.
A quick response was needed, and one arrived just 32 seconds later. Tverberg drove out from behind the goal line to the blue paint, attempting a jam play while holding off a defender. After watching the replay a few times, I’m still not entirely sure how the puck bounced in through Fedotov’s pads, but if any player on the team deserves a little luck, it’s Tverberg.
Toronto rode that momentum and scored the eventual game-winner with a little over five minutes remaining. The top line combined to recover possession in the Cleveland zone, resulting in a shooting opportunity for Nylander at the top of the circle. The Swedish forward fanned on his effort, confusing the defenders, and recomposed himself to send a pass through to Shaw in the slot. The Marlies captain was patient with his finish off the backhand — the perfect way to record his 20th goal of the season.
Johnstone and Nylander set up Paré and Tverbery, respectively, but Fedotov turned aside both as Toronto pushed for an insurance tally.
With Fedotov pulled for an extra attacker, the Marlies didn’t allow Cleveland to build any momentum. Nylander and Tverberg combined to exit the defensive zone before the former slid the puck into the empty net.
Post Game Notes
– It must be the green uniforms: The Toronto Marlies are now 8-1-0-0 on St. Patrick’s Day.
– Dennis Hildeby stopped 26 of 28 shots to record his seventh victory this season. He’s lost just once in regulation through his last seven starts (4-1-2), allowing only 15 goals in those games.
– A four-point haul for Alex Nylander gives him 10 points (5G/5A) in his last four games. As is often the case, the offensive production starts with a stronger commitment to defensive responsibility, backchecking, and playing a complete 200-foot game.
– The Marlies’ captain stepped up with the game-winner and a pair of assists. It’s the third time in four seasons that Logan Shaw has scored 20+ goals for Toronto.
– Ryan Tverberg continues to be a game-changer for the Marlies and was rewarded for his efforts (1G/1A) in this game. The scoresheet rarely tells the whole story with Tverberg, although he’s now up to six points in his last four games. The fact that John Gruden throws him out in pretty much every key situation speaks volumes. The tying goal featured a percentage play (driving the net) he’s often made without reward, but this time, it paid off.
– Tuesday’s lineup:
Forwards
Nylander – Shaw – Tverberg
Barbolini – Haymes – Valis
Kirwan – Paré – Johnstone
Baddock – King – Pezzetta
Defensemen
Mermis – Villenueve
Thrun – Sharpe
Smith – Chadwick
Goaltenders
Hildeby
Akhtyamov
