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Alex Steeves, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Toronto Marlies Shine in California

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Feb 1, 2025 3:35 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs affiliate—the Toronto Marlies—is loving California so far. This past week, they took three out of four games from three West Coast teams. They started with a 3-1 win over the Bakersfield Condors, then split two games with the San Jose Barracuda, winning the first game 4-3 in overtime and losing the second game 4-2. They skipped over to San Diego and defeated the Gulls 5-3.

Game One: Toronto Marlies 3, Bakersfield Condors 1

Alex Steeves scored twice and added an assist, while his linemate Joseph Blandisi notched a single goal and added two assists. Matt Murray allowed just one goal on 19 shots. It was a tight-checking contest, with the two teams managing only 29 shots over the three periods.

After Bakersfield opened the scoring at 13:19 of the first period, Steeves ensured that lead didn’t last long, tying the game just 19 seconds later. Steeves would score the eventual game-winner at 5:13 of the second period, and Blandisi added an empty-netter to close the game.

Game Two: Marlies 4, San Jose Barracuda 3 (OT)

After going down 2-0 early in the second period, the Marlies stormed back with goals by Steeves, Nick Abruzzese, and Blandisi to take a 3-2 lead early in the third period. While San Jose attempted to tie the game with their goalie pulled, forward Shakir Mukhamadullin was called for cross-checking at 19:03. That seemed to end any chance the Barracuda had of knotting up the score.

However, in a rare occurrence where a team pulled their goalie while killing a penalty, San Jose scored a shorthanded goal with 14 seconds left in regulation. Fortunately for the Marlies, their power play extended 1:03 into overtime. Logan Shaw scored the winner at 1:05 of OT—just two seconds after the penalty expired but before the penalized Barracuda player could get back into the play.

Shaw, Steeves, and Blandisi had two-point games to lead the offence. In his first game back with the Marlies after being sent down by the Maple Leafs, Dennis Hildeby stopped 30 of the 33 shots he faced in 61:05 of action to pick up the win.

Game Three: San Jose Barracuda 4, Marlies 2

San Jose came out on top in the second game with a score of 4-2. After a scoreless first period, the Barracuda scored two goals in the second against Artur Akhtyamov in his first game back since suffering a lower-body injury on Jan. 8.

Robert Mastrosimone and Blandisi scored early in the third period, but the Barracuda added another goal between the two Toronto markers to put San Jose ahead 3-2. They sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 36 seconds remaining.

Game Four: Marlies 5, San Diego Gulls 3

Zach Solow paced the Marlies with two goals, while Steeves, Kyle Clifford, and Cedric Paré added singles. Hildeby stopped 24 of 27 shots as Toronto bested the San Diego Gulls 5-3.

Kyle Clifford, Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Paré had the rare “Gordie Howe hat trick” by scoring a goal, adding an assist, and getting into a scrap with the Gulls’ Jan Myšák in the third period. It was only the second fight a Marlies player was involved in this season, and it consisted mainly of Paré throwing punches and Myšák receiving them in the one-sided bout.

Paré and Solow were the only two Toronto players with more than one point in the game, as the scoring was spread out evenly amongst the team—11 Marlies registered at least a point.

Individual Marlies Highlights

Blandisi led the way with seven points over the four games, scoring three goals and adding four assists. That raises his season total to 21 points, tying him with Shaw for fourth place on the Marlies, two points behind Abruzzese. Despite registering only three points in his last seven games, Alex Nylander sits second on the team with 26 points.

Steeves tallied four goals and two assists for six points over the four games. He leads the AHL in scoring with 23 goals despite playing between two and ten games fewer than anyone else in the league’s top 20.

Solow had his best three-game stretch this season with two goals and two assists, giving him four points in the last three games. After a solid 2023-24 season, Solow has struggled to remain in the Marlies lineup and has been scratched in 15 of the team’s 39 games this season.

Hildeby won both of his starts on the West Coast despite giving up six goals on 57 shots (.895 save percentage – SV%). He raised his record to 6-2-2 in 10 appearances, carrying a 2.53 goals-against average (GAA) and a .911 SV% for the season. Murray upped his AHL record to 8-4-2 with a stellar 1.68 GAA and a .934 SV% in his win.

Matt Murray, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

The only goalie to record a loss was Akhtyamov. It was his fourth regulation loss in 16 appearances in his rookie season. He sports a 9-4-1 record, a 2.83 GAA, and an .896 SV%.

What’s Next for the Marlies?

After a rough start to 2025 that saw the Marlies lose their first four home games, they have been dynamite on this extended road trip. They have won six of their last eight games, with just two more California-based games before returning home. The Marlies will then get a six-day break as the AHL All-Star festivities take place—except for Steeves and Shaw, who were both selected for the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

Despite winning six of their last eight games, the Marlies are still fourth in the AHL’s North Division with 51 points—one point behind the Cleveland Monsters and three back of the Rochester Americans. Toronto does, however, have two games in hand over both teams. The Laval Rocket continue their stellar season, leading the division with 55 points. They have played one more game than the Marlies.

[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]