Toronto Marlies, Top Prospects Sweep Weekend Series

The Toronto Maple Leafs farm team started their season this past weekend with a pair of games against the San Diego Gulls in Toronto and the Marlies took both games.

Matt Murray who was re-signed this past summer by the Toronto Maple Leafs in hopes he can make a comeback to the NHL after major hip surgery last fall started the season opener on Saturday.

While he wasn't spectacular, the former two-time Stanley Cup champion had to check off a very important box and that was getting through an entire game where he turned away 18 of 21 shots and settled in after surrendering a goal a minute into the game. Undrafted college free agent Jacob Quillan scored his first professional goal to tie the game at 1-1. Quillan signed an amateur tryout with the Marlies last spring, along with a two-year entry level contract with the Maple Leafs that started this season. The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia native skated in ten contests for the Marlies last season registering one assist.

Marshall Rifai who continues to climb up the Maple Leafs defense depth chart scored his first goal of the season five minutes after Quillan. Another undrafted college free agent signing, Rifai is in his third season with the Marlies and got into a pair of contests last season with the Maple Leafs; and even stuck it out in the NHL camp until the last days. The Harvard University student collected two goals last season in 57 games with the Marlies, but then added three in three games in the playoffs.

The Marlies would add two more goals coming from Roni Hirvonen and Nick Abruzzese to lock down the win in the first game. Rifai who has been given one of the two alternate captain letters this season earned first star of the game with his goal and game high +3.

Nylander Brothers Each Have Two-Goal Games

The Maple Leafs 2020 draft pick Artur Akhtyamov made his North America debut on Sunday afternoon and was simply amazing. The Russian netminder turned away the first ten shots of the game before surrendering his first goal which came early in the second period. It would be the only shot that the Gulls could get by Akhtyamov as he would turn away 37 of 38 shots for the victory. Never has the Maple Leafs had goaltending prospect depth like they have right now.

After watching his brother William score a pair of goals for the Maple Leafs Saturday night, Alex Nylander followed that up with a pair on Sunday. The former first round pick would tie the game in the game in the second period and then score the eventual winner early in the third period. Nylander is signed to an AHL contract which means he is ineligible to be called up unless Brad Treliving signs him to an NHL contract.

Hirvonen would score in consecutive games with a tally in the third period and captain Logan Shaw would quietly finish with five assists over the weekend. The 32-year old veteran is in his third season with the Marlies where he led the team in scoring two seasons ago and finished one point behind Joseph Blandisi for the team lead last year.

The Marlies will be off until Friday where they will be set for a three game set over the weekend with the Rochester Americans.