Marlies Report: Marlies Lock Up Playoff Spot

If that was their strategy, it worked out just fine. Dennis Hildeby stopped all three Syracuse shooters, and Alex Steeves scored for the Marlie to claim the win. 

Marlies 6 – Syracuse Crunch 5

It was difficult to believe it was the same two teams that had played the night before in this game. This was a wild seesaw battle with the teams trading goals throughout. It was also a long game that took over three hours to complete. There was as much going on after and between whistles as there was while the clock was ticking. 

Unlikely combatants Topi Niemela and Cage Concalves dropped the gloves in the first period. It was obvious neither player was trained in the art of pugilism. It was more of a grappling match with a couple of halfhearted swings. If that fight was a preliminary feather-weight bout, Matteo Petrioniro and Tristan Allard were the heavy-weight main event in the second period. Both players got in some solid blows in the fight.  

After just seven infractions were called in the weekend’s first game, 20 penalties were handed out in the first two periods of this one.

Oh yes, and there were goals scored. The Marlies got off to a 2-0 lead in a wild first period. Alex Steeves and Logan Shaw scored two carbon-copy goals at 1:41 and 3:25. Both goals were off of wrist shots from the face-off dot to the left of Crunch goalie Hugo Alnefelt. Ilya Usau and Waltteri Merela would tie it up for Syracuse before Cameron Gaunce put the Marlies up 3-2 going into the first intermission.  

The two teams would each score twice in the second period. Concaves and Max Crozier scored for the Crunch while Steeves with his second goal of the game. Nick Abruzzese would reply for the Marlies, giving Toronto a 5-4 lead going into the dressing room at the second intermission. 

Quinn Schmeimann would get the only goal of the third period to tie the game at five at the end of regulation. 

Once again, the Marlies prioritized puck possession over scoring chances in overtime, satisfied with playing keepaway for five minutes. In the shootout, Shaw scored this time for the Marlies, and Matt Murray stopped all three of the Crunch shots to give Toronto the 6-5 win.  

Individual Performances

It was no typo when I said that Matt Murray stopped all three Crunch shots in the shootout. Murray played in his first game in a year and eleven days. His last game was on April 2, 2023, against the Detroit Red Wings. 

After taking all of this season to recover from hip surgery, the Maple Leafs sent Murray to the AHL for a conditioning stint. As might be expected, he was a bit rusty and allowed five goals on 27 shots. However, he made some key saves late in the game and in the shootout to get the win. He also survived a couple of collisions in the goal crease.  

Hildeby looked sharp in the weekend’s first game, stopping 27 of the 28 shots he faced to pick up his 21st win against 11 regulation and seven overtime/shootout losses. 

Alex Steeves scored two goals and added an assist in the two games for 26 goals, 30 assists, and 56 points on the season. That’s good enough for third place in Marlies’ scoring. Joseph Blandisi notched three assists in the 6-5 win and leads the Marlies in points with 59 (on 25 goals and 34 assists).

Logan Shaw’s two goals give him 30 on the season.  It is the first time the 31-year-old has scored 30 goals at any level of his adult career. Shaw sits second in overall scoring for the Marlies with 57 points.  He led the Marlies last season with 69 points. 

Cameron Gaunce scored his first goal of the season in the weekend’s second game. You could tell by the way he and his linemates celebrated afterward. Gaunce also added an assist in that game. 

In the Playoffs

With the two wins, the Marlies locked themselves into a playoff spot. They are fourth in the North Division with 80 points and can fall no lower than fifth. The top five teams in the division all make the postseason. They could still win the division with three games remaining in the regular season and a possible six points up for grabs. 

The top three teams are Syracuse with 84 points, the Rochester Americans with 83 points, and the Cleveland Monsters with 82 points. More importantly, if the Marlies can pass one of those teams and make it into the top three, they will get a first-round bye. The fourth and fifth-place teams meet in a best-of-three match in round one. 

The Marlies play the Monsters twice in their last two games of the season and could ultimately determine their fate. Interestingly, Toronto and Cleveland play the Rochester Americans in their next game. The Marlies are in Rochester on Wednesday night, and the Crunch will play them a visit on Friday. The Marlies then host the Monsters on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Game time for both games is 4:00 pm. 

Similar to their record against the Americans before this past weekend the Marlies have yet to beat Cleveland this season. Now seems like a good time to start. 

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