The Toronto Maple Leafs lost again!
As the Toronto Maple Leafs keep finding ways to alienate and disappoint their long-suffering fanbase (the latest, a low shot-attempt, unacceptable loss against former Leaf Frederik Andersen and the team that beat them early last year with a 42-year-old emergency goaltender/team Zamboni driver), it may be prudent to shift focus away from the Leafs for a little while.
With that in mind, let’s check in on their Toronto Marlies AHL squad to get a glimpse of the waning light that, conceivably, must exist at the end of the seemingly endless tunnel.
The Marlies are currently 2-2 with 68 games remaining, and they have been outscored so far 15-11.
Toronto Marlies Check-In
The Toronto Marlies opened the season with a 5-1 spanking of the Manitoba Moose that featured strong performances from top prospect Nick Robertson (2 assists, 5 SOG, all stats from theahl.com) and offseason FA Joshua Ho-Sang (2 goals, including the eventual game-winner).
The Baby Leafs followed up that performance in typical Toronto Maple Leafs fashion, losing the next game to the Moose 5-0 followed by a 7-3 shellacking at the hands of the Rochester Americans.
Sunday night the Marlies managed a 3-2 SO win over the Cleveland Monsters, buoyed by a strong performance from goaltender Joseph Woll, who stopped 33 of 35 shots. The win evened the Marlies record to 2-2 on the season.
Notables performances on the farm:
- RW Joey Anderson, 23 (acquired from NJ for Andreas Johnsson)-2 goals, 3 points and 12 SOG in 4 games
- RW Joshua Ho-Sang, 25 (FA)- 2 goals and 7 SOG in 3 games
- C Brett Seney, 25 (FA)- 4 goals and 13 SOG in 4 games
- C Kirill Semyonov , 27 (FA signing out of the KHL)- 1 goal, 5 points and 12 SOG in 4 games
- LW Nick Robertson, 20 (2019 draft #53 overall)- 2 goals in 2 games
Unfortunately for Robertson, he suffered a broken fibula that should see him miss at least ten weeks. Robertson only played 21 games for the Marlies (and 6 for the Leafs) all of last season so it may take a little while until we see a healthy and seasoned Robertson in a full-time role on the big club.
Other notables Marlies
- 21-year-old Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, a 3rd-round Leafs pick, is a small, skilled centre who should see a prominent role this year. He has 2 assists in 4 games.
- 24-year-old defenseman Joseph Duszak, who earned a spot on the Marlies after attending the Leafs developmental camp in 2019, has 32 points in 52 AHL games for Toronto over the last three seasons. A stalwart in the NCAA from 2016-2019, Duszak is an intriguing, under-the-radar name.
- 20-year-old Mikhail Abramov, Leafs 4th-rounder. He hasn’t registered a point in 4 games but he is a talented, young centre seeing his first action in the AHL.
- 23-year-old goaltender Joseph Woll. A Leafs 3rd-rounder back in 2016, Woll hasn’t exactly impressed (3.54 GAA, .892 SV% last year) but he started his first game Sunday after returning from injury and led the Marlies to victory with a strong performance. He will take over starting duties from 25-year-old rookie Erik Källgren.
Upcoming Schedule
The Marlies head to Laval to take on their North Division rival Rocket Wednesday at 7:30 pm.
After playing their first four games at home, the Marlies play their next six of seven games away from the Coca-Cola Coliseum.