“It was a pretty low-event game. The ice conditions were what they were, and we didn’t try to do anything fancy. We played simple and took our goals when they came.”
– Alex Steeves’ on the Toronto Marlies‘ 3-1 win over Bakersfield
The two points gained were all that mattered in a bizarre Wednesday night encounter in Bakersfield.
The Zamboni broke down on the ice before the game, and the puck drop was delayed for almost 15 minutes due to an emergency patch-up job in the neutral zone. The attendance was significantly lower than the 2,758 announced, and a muted crowd combined with a low-event game made for a strange atmosphere.
First Period
It was clear from the outset that the ice surface would not be conducive to free-flowing attacking hockey, which hindered the Condors as much as the Marlies. The Marlies had three chances in the opening minute as Bakersfield struggled to deal with the choppy surface, but Toronto equally struggled to take advantage.
Although Bakersfield held an 11-6 shot advantage through 20 minutes, they generated just one Grade-A scoring chance. Matt Murray smothered an effort from the slot by Carl Berglund in a fairly comfortable period for the Toronto netminder.
The Marlies were unfortunate not to take the lead at the midway mark. A stinging shot from Roni Hirvonen struck the iron, and on the same shift, Alex Steeves went close on a rebound following a blocked shot.
Bakersfield broke the deadlock three minutes later. Toronto was on the back foot in the defensive zone but looked to have held off the danger as a shot from the left circle whistled well wide of the target.
Following a big bounce off the backboards, the puck meandered back toward the right faceoff dot and into the wheelhouse of Seth Griffith. The former Marlie forward’s one-timer found the far left side of the net with Murray unsighted.
Toronto’s response was immediate and decisive. The Condors were caught napping in the neutral zone as Hirvonen and Joseph Blandisi won battles to create a fast-developing 2-on-1. Blandisi teed up Steeves’ one-time shot to tie the game up 19 seconds after falling behind.
The Marlies killed off the period’s only penalty to deny the Condors a go-ahead goal and then dodged a bullet in the final minute. A mistake from Mikko Kokkoken resulted in defenseman Phil Kemp jumping into the attack, but his shot from the right circle hit the post square.
Second Period
The ice was noticeably worse in the final 40 minutes. Making high-percentage, low-danger plays became the order of the day.
Alex Nylander led a 2v1 just 30 seconds into the middle frame but couldn’t convert on a backhand shot from the slot.
Special teams played a big part in two victories against Manitoba and again came to the fore in this game.
Steeves leaned into a wrister for a power-play goal from the right circle, the 90th of his AHL career, to give Toronto a 2-1 lead.
The Marlies almost doubled their advantage 90 seconds later. Logan Shaw deftly redirected Topi Niemelä’s inch-perfect stretch pass, sending Nylander on a partial breakaway. The latter sent the puck narrowly wide of the target, possibly catching the outside of the goaltender’s left post.
Three more penalties produced no goals, and Toronto’s penalty kill gave up zero shots. Cedric Paré made up for a holding penalty by drawing a call within seconds of exiting the box. The power play couldn’t strike for a second time, and the Marlies had to be content with a 2-1 lead.
Murray was almost a passenger for the entire frame, facing just one shot (from distance) until the final minute. Toronto’s netminder produced a sharp save to rob Connor Corcoran from close range to keep his team’s slender advantage intact.
Third Period
Neither power play connected on their opportunities in the first half of the third period.
Bakersfield attempted to unsettle Murray by running him, but cooler heads prevailed in such a tightly contested contest with goals at a premium.
Toronto’s captain should have given his side some breathing room just before the midway mark of the frame. Nick Abruzzese settled down a skittering puck and created a 2v1 with Shaw, who opted not to shoot from the slot. The captain instead teed up Abruzzese to score with half an empty net to aim at. The surface might have played a part in the miss, as the puck appeared to hold up and then slide.
The Marlies were almost perfect defensively until the power play coughed up the best chance of the period. A series of misplays allowed Drake Caggulia to escape on a breakaway, but Murray produced his best save of the game.
Kokkonen‘s slashing penalty with 2:38 left on the clock put the Marlies under pressure for the remainder of the period. Griffith wired a shot off the post from the slot as Bakersfield initially went with five skaters before pulling Olivier Rodrigue late in the power play.
Marshall Rifai won a battle following a dump-in behind the Marlies net and released the puck to Steeves. The latter picked his head up and found Blandisi inside the blue line, where Blandisi sent the puck into the empty net from a long distance to secure the 3-1 victory.
Murray was forced to make another good save from point-blank range as Bakersfield didn’t stop fighting until the end.
Life on the road is good for the Marlies, who have recorded three consecutive wins and conceded just one goal in the process.
Post Game Notes
– This game marks the halfway point of the season. Toronto is 21-10-5 and has allowed the second-fewest number of goals (93) in the AHL. The power play (20.5%) and penalty kill (86%) are both ranked fifth overall.
– Switching back to this game, the Marlies went 1-for-5 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. They were held to their fewest shots on net (20) this season.
– Alex Steeves reached the 20-goal mark with Toronto’s first goal, tying Bobby McMann for the fastest Marlies player to reach 20 goals in a single season. He later scored his 21st in his 29th game of the season.
– Joseph Blandisi recorded his third multi-point game of the season (1G/2A) and reveled in his new assignment. He centered Steeves and Roni Hirvonen, a trio that found instant chemistry and was the outstanding forward line for Toronto. Hirvonen looked sharp on his return from injury after missing almost a month.
“I thought Roni did a really good job,” said Gruden. “He plays predictably and is always in position. [Steeves] scores us two big goals, and I thought it was [Blandisi’s] best game in a while, too. He was outstanding. It seems like one line steps up every night, and we are going to continue to need everyone.”
– Matt Murray won his fourth consecutive start and, until Thursday’s call-up to the Leafs, led all active goaltenders in save percentage (.934) and goals against average (1.68). He’s in a good headspace, feeling confident and in the best position he’s been in all season to prove his worth in the NHL.
– The Marlies now travel to San Jose to play the Barracuda twice this weekend. Said Blandisi as he slid on a pair of sunglasses post-game: “Let’s go! Going through Cali.”
– Wednesday’s lineup:
Forwards
Abruzzese – Shaw – Nylander
Hirvonen – Blandisi – Steeves
Grebenkin – Paré – Barbolini
Mastrosimone – Tverberg – Solow
Defensemen
Rifai- Niemelä
Webber – Benning
Mermis – Kokkonen
Goaltenders
Murray
Peksa
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