Luke Haymes deems Marlies’ Game 3 loss ‘just not good enough’, Toronto holds 2-1 series lead

The Toronto Marlies fell on Monday night, dropping Game 3 of the American Hockey League’s Eastern Conference Finals 5-3 to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. 

Marlies forward Luke Haymes led the way, picking up a goal and an assist to push his series point total to three. The Marlies outshot the Penguins 39-34, but, speaking post-game, Haymes gave a blunt assessment of how he thought he and the team played in the loss. 

“Just not good enough from our group. I don’t think we did a good enough job, and it starts with me; it wasn’t good enough defensively,” Haymes said. “Artie [Artur Akhtyamov] stood on his head yet again, and he’s been doing that too much for us.”

Haymes has been a consistent threat for the Marlies during these playoffs, recording two goals and seven assists to sit in a tie for fourth among all Marlies skaters this postseason with nine points. The forward picked up the game-winning goal during Game 2 of the North Division Semifinals against Laval and tallied a goal on Monday that tied the game at 2-2. 

While Monday night’s goal wasn’t the prettiest of Haymes’ career to this point by any means, it came at a massive point in the game. The 22-year-old was sprung in on a breakaway but had the puck stripped off his stick by a diving Chase Pietila. Haymes followed the loose puck and was able to fire a shot from behind the goal line that banked in off Penguins defenceman Owen Pickering to tie the game with 2:36 remaining in the second period. 

“Mermie [Dakota Mermis] made a really nice pass up the middle and got a breakaway, which the guy [Pietila] got a lucky stick. I saw two guys going to the net, so I wanted to throw it there and got a lucky bounce which happens in playoffs and kept us in the game,” Haymes said. 

Sergei Murashov has been lights out for the Penguins during these playoffs, putting together a 7-5-0 record with a 1.93 goals-against average and 0.936 save percentage. The goaltender has stopped 36 and 37 shots in each of the past two games, but the Marlies have been able to utilize traffic in front to make life difficult on the 22-year-old, something that Michael Pezzetta touched on following the Game 1 victory on May 29. 

“Obviously, he’s a really good goalie. I think anytime you are facing someone like that, you’re just trying to get shots off quick, and get screens in front,” Pezzetta said while speaking to the media. “It’s hard to beat goalies like that clean, so I think that’s exactly what it was. We had a good screen in front, and it’s hard to see it when that’s the case.”

With the Marlies now holding a 2-1 series lead, Game 4 becomes ever so important to both clubs. Speaking post-game, Marlies head coach John Gruden had already turned the page and shifted his focus to a game, a contest he knew the importance of being ready for. 

“I just think we don’t want to give this team any more momentum. I think as a group of guys that have worked so hard, and played so well together as a team, I think they know that too,” Gruden said. “I don’t have to put any more pressure on them. I’m just out here saying it, but they know. We’ll have to look at some things and clean up some things, but there’s a lot to like, and I know our guys will be ready to go come Wednesday.”

Game 4 is on Wednesday, June 3 at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EST.