“I thought it was a great effort tonight. We came out with a third strong period. I liked the way we shut it down and kept pushing. Even though we had the lead, we kept going for the next goal. I thought that showed a lot of maturity in our group.”
– Joseph Blandisi
“Obviously, he’s a huge piece for us. He’s a big part on and off the ice. He leads by example. His experience goes a long way, and he had a hell of a game, so I’m really happy for him.”
– Logan Shaw on the return of Kyle Clifford
“It was a really good response by our group, getting Kyle Clifford back in the lineup and the performance we got from our goaltender, who was outstanding. The guys stayed with it. We fell down early but bounced back. It was a big two points for us.”
– John Gruden
This was just what the doctor ordered after the Toronto Marlies‘ demoralizing loss in Lehigh the night before. The Marlies played with a “next man up” mentality and left it all out on the ice before the brief holiday pause.
Kyle Clifford is a well-loved member of this group, and his return inspired the team. Alongside Joseph Blandisi and Cédric Paré, Clifford’s third game of the season was a memorable one for him and the club.
First Period
Given the lopsided loss the night before, the opening frame was crucial for Toronto’s confidence. It was a solid 20 minutes, providing a platform for them to grow into the game.
Cade Webber was forced into an early penalty to deny Riley Sutter on a partial breakaway, but Toronto easily killed the penalty to help with the confidence-building exercise.
The Marlies earned two power plays but struggled against a very aggressive Bears PK. Fraser Minten had the best chance from the slot on the second of those opportunities, but he couldn’t beat Clay Stevenson.
Toronto did bend at times, but they refused to break. Artur Akhtyamov produced four key saves to ensure the game remained goalless. Spencer Smallman was turned aside early before Akhtyamov robbed Chase Priskie at the 13-minute mark during Hershey’s best spell of pressure.
The rookie goaltender finished the period strongly with two important saves in the final 30 seconds. Akhtyamov denied Ethen Frank on a partial breakaway and then Ethan Bear from the hashmarks.
Second Period
The Bears stormed out of the gates in the middle frame, quickly forcing the Marlies on their heels. Brad Hunt’s booming point shot broke the deadlock with 61 seconds played.
Alex Nylander had the opportunity to respond immediately, but he ran out of room while attempting to outwait Stevenson.
The Marlies had to withstand another dominant shift from the Bears before establishing a foothold in the period. Matthew Barbolini and Alex Nylander went close before the third line delivered a tying goal at the midway point.
Cédric Paré battled two defenders below the goal line to get the puck out front. Joseph Blandisi drew a top save from Stevenson, but the puck laid in the crease, and Kyle Clifford reacted quickest to tie the game.
Hershey restored the lead three minutes later when Toronto paid the price for consecutive unnecessary icings, leading to tired legs. From an Aaron Ness point shot, Sutter produced a pinpoint redirect in front of Akhtyamov to beat the netminder five-hole.
Akhtyamov kept his team in the game from the restart by turning aside Brennan Saulnier on a breakaway and robbing Jon McDonald as Hershey searched for an insurance marker.
The Marlies repaid their netminder with a late tying goal.
Paré pounced on a turnover in the neutral zone to create a 2v1 situation with Alex Steeves to his left. Everyone would have expected the pass, but Paré produced a wicked wrist shot over Stevenson’s shoulder — a finish Steeves would have been proud of.
Third Period
It was Toronto’s turn to strike early as they netted inside 30 seconds. The top line connected with a good passing movement, cutting open the Hershey defense before Logan Shaw scored on his own rebound.
The Marlies killed off a penalty but were stunned by what transpired at the four-minute mark. Matt Strome ran over Akhtyamov in an altercation more akin to a rugby tackle than a hockey play, but no whistle was forthcoming. When a stoppage finally arrived, Toronto surrounded the officials, including Akhtyamov, who was outraged by the lack of support from the stripes.
Within seconds of the restart, Hershey tied the game at 3-3 via Bogdan Trineyev’s point shot through traffic.
Toronto did not allow the non-call or the tying goal to affect them. The third line struck again, albeit with a more aesthetically pleasing goal this time. Clifford’s one-timer from the left circle blazed past Stevenson in what might be the veteran forward’s nicest-ever shot for the Marlies. The legwork from Paré down low was once again key to creating the opportunity.
Toronto staved off another stretch of pressure brought about by consecutive icings, as Barbolini drew an interference penalty by outworking his opponent when exiting the zone.
11 seconds after the penalty had expired, Toronto struck for a fifth time, this time on a funky play. Nylander stumbled as he drove between the circles and released a shot as he fell. The effort was blocked, but the attempted clearance was sent back into Nylander’s body as he gathered himself. Nylander quickly regained his bearings and beat the netminder on the glove side.
Hershey opted for an extra attacker with over four minutes remaining, generating one scoring chance of note. Trineyev looked set to score his second of the game from the hashmarks before Akhtyamov intervened.
Clifford launched the puck toward the empty net 30 seconds later, with the puck rolling on edge. Sadly, Clifford was denied his hat trick as the puck hit the post square, but Blandisi was on hand to finish off the crucial insurance marker.
The icing on the cake was a seventh goal, this time from the fourth line. Jacob Quillan was involved in the build-up, but the goal was all about Roni Hirvonen. The Finnish forward beat two defenders in the slot before delivering a perfect forehand finish past Stevenson.
Post Game Notes
– The Marlies enter the short Christmas break with a 15-5-5 record. They sit fourth in the North Division in total points but own the best points percentage (.700).
– Credit to Kyle Clifford (2G/1A) for making a huge impact in his return. The immediate success alongside Joseph Blandisi (1G/2A) and Cédric Paré (1G/3A) should give John Gruden plenty of reasons to keep the trio together as an identity line for the team.
“They’re heavy,” said Gruden. “They play in straight lines and aren’t easy to contain. They’re big guys who aren’t afraid to get inside and aren’t afraid to lay their bodies on the line. Big game from them, and much needed.”
– Artur Akhtyamov was inevitably going to face some adversity at some point this season. Like the team, he bounced back in a big way, making timely saves and earning the praise of his head coach. He stopped 24 of 27 shots for the win and remained composed as Hershey attempted to rattle him.
– No points for Fraser Minten in this outing, but he led all skaters with seven shots. Three of those were Grade-A scoring chances. He’ll find the net again soon if he continues in his current form.
– Roni Hirvonen is in a nice groove and has scored in three consecutive games. There’s a new level of confidence in his game playing alongside Jacob Quillan.
“I’m very happy about it. It’s nice to have the security for us as a family. I love being here. I love helping out with everyone trying to get to the NHL. I love pushing them and how they push me to be better.”
– Logan Shaw on signing a new two-year AHL deal with the Marlies
In case you missed the news, Logan Shaw has also been selected to represent Team Canada at the Spengler Cup.
“He’s a special person and [has] a special family,” said Blandisi. “He works incredibly hard. We are really happy for him. We will try our best to hold the fort for him while he’s gone.”
– Saturday’s lineup:
Forwards
Abruzzese – Shaw – Steeves
Grebenkin – Minten – Nylander
Clifford – Paré – Blandisi
Hirvonen – Quillan – Barbolini
Defensemen
Kokkonen – Benning
Rifai – Villeneuve
Webber – Mattinen
Goalies
Akhtyamov
Peksa
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