Toronto Marlies Notebook: Keefe’s Candid Comments

Welcome back to another instalment of Toronto Marlies Notebook!

I apologize for the delay on this one. Aside from the Toronto Maple Leafs starting all their games this week in the dead of night, I’d recommend placing the blame squarely on the University of Toronto. It was they who thought having three research papers due within the same week was an okay thing to do.

Alas, that nightmare is over, and I’m back and ready to talk about the 1st place Marlies! And boy, do we have much to discuss.

Let’s dive in.

Garret Sparks

This happens to be the third notebook in a row in which I’ve designated an entire section to Garret Sparks. And you know what? He’s earned it.

To say that Sparks has come into his own this season is to say that Peter Chiarelli is a bad general manager. It’s a thoroughly accurate statement, and those who disagree with it clearly haven’t been watching close enough.

While Curtis McElhinney continues to demonstrate what playing hockey on a slip n’ slide would look like, Calvin Pickard is regarded by fans as the heir to the Toronto Maple Leafs back up role.

Not so fast, people.

After shutting out the Laval Rocket on November 1^st, Sparks became the Marlies franchise record holder for most career shutouts. Now, If that wasn’t impressive enough for you, I’d like to point out that he also currently sports a ludicrously high .942 save percentage. That places him above all AHL goaltenders with at least 5 games played. Not too shabby.

Perhaps most importantly, 2017-18 serves as the first season of Sparks’ AHL career in which he’s been unquestionably given the role of starting goaltender. For him respond to this new-found responsibility so successfully is thoroughly encouraging.

If any Marlie has earned himself an NHL call-up, it’s him.

Freddy the Goat

Frederik Gauthier should not be playing hockey games right now. Why? Well, you can thank Syracuse Crunch defenceman Jake Dotchin for that. Dotchin targeted Gauthier with an extremely low hit, causing him to suffer a severe hamstring injury, supposedly shelving him until at least mid-November.

Now, before I gush about Gauthier’s impressive recovery, I want to briefly discuss Dotchin.

Fun fact: if you’re currently reading this article, I have some good news! You have the exact same number of career NHL goals as Jake Dotchin. Dotchin is the human equivalent of mononucleosis, in that he’s annoying, painful, and yet not really taken all that seriously as a threat. I sincerely hope that, when trick or treating this year, everyone just gave him raisins. He’s not even worthy of candy corn.

Anyway, Gauthier’s recovery has been nothing short of incredible. As The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler detailed, the injury was so serious, Gauthier’s hamstring muscles were ripped off the bone completely. And yet, a mere 5 months later, he’s back on skates, playing arguably the best hockey of his career.

While his foot speed remains a tad sluggish, Gauthier’s begun throwing his body around far more than he used to while proving himself to be an adequate penalty killer. If he can gain just one extra step, we may be looking at the Leafs 4th line centre of the future.

Keep an eye on The Goat. He’s making some waves.

Keefe’s Comments

Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe is a lot like Mike Babcock in that he is seriously intimidating, while always proving to be an entertaining quote. Keefe was extra candid this week, speaking at length about a variety of the Marlies young players.

I’ve started referring to this Keefe quote as “filet mignon” because it’s juicy as hell. Remember last week when I wondered what was causing Jeremy Bracco’s frequent scratches? Turns out it was his conditioning.

It’s important to notice that, when talking about young Jeremy, Keefe mentions fitness twice within a single paragraph. That’s not good.

In Bracco’s defence, it’s important to remember just how short his summer actually was. Bracco won a Memorial Cup on May 28th, reported to Leafs Development Camp on July 6th, and then participated in the Rookie Tournament from September 8-10th. Mix in some needed rest time, and he likely had only two full months to dedicate towards training. That’s far from ideal for a young player.

More from Editor In Leaf

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• Toronto Maple Leafs: Playing Max Domi In Top-Six a HUGE Mistake
• Top 10 Scandals in the History of the Toronto Maple Leafs
• Toronto Maple Leafs: Results from the Traverse City Prospects Tournament

However, we just saw the Pittsburgh Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cups despite having only half the time to train as 15 other teams. Being an NHL player means making sure your body is ready for when the season roles around. No matter what.

Reporting to camp in shape so poor that he’s been held out of all but 3 games is extremely troubling for Bracco. Especially on a team where winger roles are so hard to come by.

Quick Notes

• Mason Marchment continued with his offensive tear, scoring in back to back games once again. He’s up to 5 goals on the year and is succeeding in opening many eyes within the Leafs organization.
• Dmytro Timashov extended his point streak to 4 games, posting assists in both weekend games. He’s another player who is beginning to really make a name for himself. It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of his season plays out.

Next: Leafs Need to Acquire a Defenseman

• It’s becoming abundantly clear that Nikita Soshnikov belongs in the NHL, evidenced by his 8 points in 9 games so far. In a perfect world, he’d assume Matt Martin‘s role on the Leafs 4th line, albeit with far more speed and offensive ability. If any Leafs wingers get injured, he’s getting the call.
• I couldn’t end a Marlies Notebook without mentioning my favourite son Timothy Liljegren. Despite going pointless on the weekend, Liljegren has continued to round out his game, moving the puck with a confidence befitting of an NHL defenceman. I cannot overstate how excited I am for him to become a Leaf.