One hundred and fifty-nine penalty minutes, a four-goal game from Ryan Tverberg, and a whole lot of fists thrown inside Coca-Cola Coliseum on Friday night between the Marlies and Belleville Senators.
Toronto won the game commandingly, finding the back of the net eight times. Belleville exited the ice following the beatdown with 101 minutes in penalties and just eight players on their bench (along with a few players on the ice and in the box).
Both teams didn't like one another already, but things began to pop off at the end of the second period when Bokondji Imama speared goaltender Dennis Hildeby.
The entire Marlies team didn't like it, especially Kyle Clifford, who came flying over in defense of his goaltender to throw down with Imama. Both were ejected from the game right after.
"He's a leader, on and off the ice," said William Villeneuve of Clifford, who had four points on Friday night. "You know what you're going to get out of Cliffy every night. He brings physicality, he brings leadership. He has one speed, he brings it every night."
Speaking of Hildeby, this was his first game back in the AHL following his promotion to the Maple Leafs for the California road trip. The 22-year-old stopped all 20 shots for his second shutout of the season.
The rookie goaltender now has eight wins and a .923 save percentage through 16 AHL games.
"He's not afraid of the moment, you can see he looks like he doesn't get nervous," Marlies head coach John Gruden said of Hildeby.
As of right now, there's not much known about what the future holds for Hildeby in the NHL as Ilya Samsonov remains up with the Maple Leafs. Do they call the 22-year-old up to play in one of the team's back-to-back games this weekend or does Samsonov get into one?
That'll be a hot topic over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Another player that's generating a lot of discussion this season is Kieffer Bellows. There are plenty of people wondering what his future holds with the Maple Leafs organization following this professional tryout.
The 25-year-old capped off his PTO with the Marlies on Friday night, scoring 14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points in 25 games.
Now, there are several different routes he can go following this tryout. Bellows can sign another PTO with the Marlies, as there's no limit on how many times a team can sign the same player to a professional tryout.
(Given his performance with AHL Toronto, this seems like an unlikely scenario to me.)
He can also sign a contract with the Marlies, Maple Leafs, or any other NHL team that wants his services. The Maple Leafs only have three contract slots available, and with the trade deadline approaching, they will likely be contemplating every avenue.
"He keeps getting better and better," Gruden defined Bellows' professional tryout. "He keeps working on things that are important for him to have success in the team. And I think he enjoys it. I think he likes being here and I'm glad that he's going about it the right way."
Ryan Tverberg had a five-point night, scoring four goals in the third period and adding an assist on Marshall Rifai's first goal of the season. It was Tverberg's first pro hat-trick, and it was also the first four-goal game from a Marlie since 2009.
"Thanks for the teammates. Good passes. I mean, I don't know, it was kind of the outcome of some good plays," said Tverberg, a player of not many words, on his strong performance Friday.
The 21-year-old AHL rookie is now averaging a point-per-game in the AHL this season, tallying six goals and 12 assists in 17 games. That's the fourth-best points-per-game average in the AHL among rookies this season.
Tverberg said he was soaked with water when he entered the Marlies' dressing room following the four-goal, five-point night.
"It was crazy," he said, with a small grin.
Another player who had a big, but also quiet game was Villeneuve. The defenseman is in his second season with the Marlies, and on Friday, had a career-high for points in a game with four.
One of those assists came on the fourth goal of the game for Tverberg.
"Ryan's such a funny guy and he's well-liked around the locker room," Villeneuve said. "He's really good. I think he's really underrated. He plays in a lot of situations, he plays hard minutes, and I think it's really nice to see him getting rewarded tonight."
It'll be a night to remember for the 21-year-old as he continues to rapidly grow in his rookie season in the AHL. One thing is for certain: It appears the Maple Leafs found something in this diamond in the rough.
"He's around the puck and he wins his battles and he does the things that he needs to do to be successful," Gruden said. "I know he'll continue to keep going and doing the things that are necessary for him to become a better player and help the team win."
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