“In a best-of-three, we know we can’t afford a bad start, especially against a team that transitions like they do and gets after it. Any mistake that you make, they will be quick to transition. We did a really good job of managing that, establishing some forechecking time, and making them defend. That started right from the drop of the puck. We’re going to have to be even better at it when we go to Rochester in their building.”
– John Gruden
This was the type of performance that the 2018 Calder Cup-winning Toronto Marlies regularly produced against opponents they knew they were better than. From the opening puck drop, the Marlies were the superior team in every facet of the game, as their veteran leaders drove the bus en route to a 5-0 Game 1 victory.
First Period
After the Marlies drew a penalty 63 seconds into the game, Logan Shaw split the Amerks’ penalty kill and broke in for a 2v1 opportunity. Shaw’s pass to a wide-open Vinni Lettieri was slightly off the mark, and Rochester dodged an early bullet.
The Marlies continued to pile on the pressure at five-on-five despite not capitalizing on the early power-play opportunity. A clever flip pass by Cedric Paré set up Marc Johnstone alone in the slot, where Johnstone was stopped in tight by Devon Levi’s pad save.
Line over line, and wave over wave of Marlie pressure finally broke through after a minute-plus inside the Rochester zone. Michael Pezzetta rotated high to the top of the circle, where he sent a seeing-eye shot into the far top corner.
The Marlies handed Rochester a power play within 30 seconds of taking the lead, and the Amerks’ vaunted power play generated four high-danger chances, but Artur Akhtyamov stopped Konsta Helenius (x2), Anton Wahlberg, and Kuntar. Those were the only shots the Marlies’ goaltender faced in the opening 20 minutes.
Two goals inside the final six minutes put the Marlies in complete control. Bo Groulx grabbed possession in the slot following an excellent forecheck by Logan Shaw and a pass from Lettieri. The Marlies’ top goal-scorer made a beautiful move around a defender before working the puck around Levi.
Rochester’s frustration resulted in a procession to the penalty box. With one penalty expiring, Jacob Quillan took a high stick to the face, resulting in a nasty mess and a double minor to Jack Rathbone. The Marlies didn’t record a shot during a short 5-on-3 but netted a third goal shortly afterward.
Lettieri absolutely ripped a one-time shot from the left circle on a perfectly placed feed into the wheelhouse from William Villeneuve, capping off a tremendous first-period performance by the Marlies.
Second Period
The Amerks’ only player of note through Game 1 of this series was Helenius, who caused the Marlies some issues 90 seconds into the middle frame, but Akhtyamov snuffed out the danger.
A dubious call on Alex Nylander presented Rochester with a second power play, but the Amerks’ power play was again bested by a resilient, well-organized, and courageous Toronto penalty kill. As the penalty expired, Nylander exited the box into a partial breakaway but couldn’t solve Levi.
A pair of late-period goals in the final six minutes essentially sealed the victory for Toronto. After the Marlies lost an offensive-zone draw, Vinni Lettieri leaped to catch an attempted clearance, knocked down the puck, and unleashed another slapper past Levi.
Akhtyamov made another good save on Helenius before his teammates made it 5-0 just four seconds before the second intermission buzzer. Denied a third goal after a good feed from Groulx, Lettieri clinched his hat-trick inside 40 minutes. Easton Cowan, aware of the clock, spun away from a defender down the left wing and dropped a pass to Lettieri, who ripped yet another one past Levi.
Third Period
After Cowan was stopped on a breakaway at the five-minute mark, the game predictably became a bit of a circus with a 5-0 scoreline.
The Amerks weren’t happy with Dakota Mermis after a cross-check sent his man flying. The Marlies sprung to the attack in transition, and Mermis almost scored as the trailer on the play. A scrum broke out after the whistle, and Jacob Quillan mixed it up with Carson Meyer. The Toronto forward ended up with a 10-minute penalty and headed down the tunnel for more repairs after the earlier high-sticking damage.
The game was over as a contest, with Rochester rarely threatening to break the shutout. Only Wahlberg and Olivier Nadeau tested Akhtyamov, as the Russian netminder faced only four shots in the final frame to record a first playoff shutout.
Post Game Notes
– The Marlies went 2-for-6 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill while outshooting Rochester 32-16. Domination.
– This was a fairly comfortable shutout for Artur Akhtyamov, but his key saves on the first penalty kill didn’t allow Rochester a sniff with the game at 1-0. Akhtyamov recorded Toronto’s 12th shutout in playoff history, turning aside 16 shots. It was the Marlies’ first shutout at home since Apr. 29, 2018. Any idea what happened that spring?
– Vinni Lettieri’s hat trick was the first playoff hat trick recorded by a Marlie at home since May 23, 2019. Normally a dominant goal scorer during the regular season, the veteran potted just 14 this year (it’s the first time he has shot under 10% in his career). He was keen to make up for it when it mattered, ripping three bombs in this outing — and an assist, to boot — in a terrific performance from him on a veteran line alongside Bo Groulx and Logan Shaw, who led the way for the Marlies.
– The effort by the entire group was infectious, and barring the two aforementioned players, it’s a little unfair to single out anybody. Rookie defenseman Noah Chadwick acquitted himself well in his playoff debut, and Jacob Quillan also deserves a nod as well. His physicality was noticeable, and so was his willingness to put his nose into every scrum after the whistle. The all-around buy-in from the Marlies in that respect was excellent to see, and hopefully, it’s a positive sign for future games.
– Matthew Barbolini (upper body) will be unavailable for the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.
– Game 1 lineup:
Forwards
Groulx – Shaw – Lettieri
Cowan – Tverberg – Nylander
Quillan – Haymes – Valis
Pezzetta – Paré – Johnstone
Defensemen
Rifai – Thrun
Mermis – Villeneuve
Chadwick – Benning
Goalies
Akhtyamov
Hildeby
