Toronto Marlies Climb Atop American Hockey League’s North Division Standings
By Tim Bayer
The Toronto Marlies are a perfect 4-0 so far in their seven-game road trip, propelling themselves to the top of the North Division standings. They won three more last week, beating the Hartford Wolf Pack, Utica Comets and Binghamton Senators.
Toronto Marlies @ Hartford Wolf Pack: 5-0 Marlies
NOTE: The AHL’s website has a more extensive highlight pack but it doesn’t have an “embed” feature. You can watch it here.
Toronto’s deep and devastating offense continued to roll Wednesday night, pumping four third-period goals past Wolf Pack goaltender Magnus Hellberg.
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The Marlies were fortunate to be up 1-0 after two periods, being outshot 22-14. Garret Sparks kept the Marlies’ precarious lead alive, before the offensive tsunami arrived in the final stanza.
Five different Marlies scored: Mark Arcobello, Kasperi Kapanen, Ryan Rupert, Nikita Soshnikov and Richard Panik. The one-timer was the Marlies’ weapon of choice on three of the five goals. They showed good puck possession and passing before finishing.
Toronto Marlies @ Utica Comets: 5-4 Marlies (Shootout)
The Marlies’ offensive explosion continued Friday night in Utica, however the Comets kept this one much more exciting than two nights before in Hartford.
William Nylander was the star in this one, scoring the game-tying goal in the third period, the shootout-clincher and adding an assist. Defenseman T.J. Brennan also had a goal and an assist.
The Marlies also showed their ability to spread the offense around in this one. Kapanen was the only player to score in consecutive games while Casey Bailey also found the score sheet.
Toronto Marlies @ Binghamton Senators: 6-1 Marlies
Another game, another goal scoring frenzy for the Toronto Marlies.
The Marlies pelted Binghamton Senators goaltender Matt O’Connor with 42 shots on Saturday night, converting six of them. Brennan was the only Marlie to score twice and Sparks made 34 saves, allowing only one goal in the old-fashioned blowout.
Nylander and Panik each had a goal and an assist, both sniping home rush chances. Zach Hyman and Andrew Campbell also scored as the Marlies capped off their week with a fifth straight win.
Three Stars of the Week
3. T.J. Brennan
The perennial AHL all-star defenseman continued his point-per-game pace with five points in three games this week. The 26-year-old journeyman might be frustrated with his lack of opportunities at the NHL level, but at least he can take solace in being a key leadership cog in a dynamic Toronto Marlies offensive machine.
2. Garret Sparks
The Marlies gave Sparks more than enough goal support, but with Antoine Bibeau up with the Toronto Maple Leafs due to Jonathan Bernier’s injury, the 22-year-old Illinois native dominated the competition anyway. Sparks stopped 96 of the 101 shots he faced last week, including a 30-save shutout and 34 of 35 in the second half of a back-to-back. Sparks sports a .932 save percentage in seven games, good for eighth in the league (minimum 180 minutes played).
1. William Nylander
Were you expecting someone else? We’re running out of superlatives to describe this kid. At 19-years old (!), Nylander sits tied for third in league scoring with 14 points after a five-point effort last week. And he’s played two less games than everybody else in the top five. Did I mention he’s only 19? Oh, I did? Well, he’s 19.
Looking Ahead
The Marlies are off until Friday when they begin a back-to-back against the St. John’s Ice Caps. Their seven-game road trip concludes with a date in Rochester to battle the Americans the following Wednesday.
For Your Reading (And Viewing) Pleasure
– Frank Corrado is back with the Toronto Maple Leafs after his 14-day conditioning stint with the Marlies ended on Wednesday. However, it’s unclear if or when he’ll get any playing time, considering Martin Marincin and Scott Harrington are both ahead of him on the defensive depth chart. Jordan Mady of the National Post has a piece on Corrado’s journey back home, although whether or not he’ll remain here long-term is anybody’s guess.
– The Marlies’ recent offensive success is especially impressive considering they’ve done it without Connor Brown. As Kyle Cicerella reports, Brown broke a bone in his ankle blocking a slap shot on October 30 and is out indefinitely. Recovery time for a broken ankle is usually six weeks minimum.
– Jeff Veillette of The LeafsNation has a much more extensive recap of Saturday’s big win over the Binghamton Senators. The Marlies are really good, guys.
– Lastly, here’s a cool Marlies montage from their first 12 games of the season by YouTuber “Seer”: