The Marlies just completed a mediocre 5-game stretch that saw them split two games with the Charlotte Checkers, get shut out by the much superior Laval Rocket, and then split another two games with the Belleville Senators. They began the past stretch of games in 3rd place in the AHL’s North Division and ended it in the same place. The only difference being the 4th place Cleveland Monsters gained two points on Toronto but also played one more game than the Marlies.
Marlies Were Outscored in Five Games
The Marlies were outscored 12-11 in the five games and have been struggling to put the puck in the net of late. The absence of Fraser Minton and Nikita Grebenkin has definitely had an effect on the team’s offensive production. One other factor has been the recent struggles of Alex Nylander. Nylander has scored just one goal and added one assist in his last 10 games. By the eye test, he has really been fighting the puck and failing to make the simplest of plays. Nylander usually plays on the opposite wing as Steeves and has been the setup guy on a number of Steeves’ goals this season. That could be playing a part in Steeves recording just one goal in his last four games.
AHL North Division Standings on March 30
| Team | Games Played | Won | Lost | OT/SO/L | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laval Rocket | 63 | 42 | 17 | 4 | 88 |
| Rochester Americans | 64 | 39 | 18 | 7 | 85 |
| Toronto Marlies | 64 | 33 | 22 | 9 | 75 |
| Cleveland Monsters | 64 | 31 | 22 | 11 | 73 |
| Syracuse Crunch | 63 | 30 | 21 | 12 | 72 |
| Belleville Senators | 63 | 30 | 24 | 9 | 69 |
| Utica Comets | 63 | 26 | 30 | 7 | 59 |
There is significance in finishing in the top three in the Division. The first round of the North Division playoffs is more of a play-in. The 4th and 5th place teams play in a best-of-three series. The winner of that series then goes on to play the 1st-place team in round two, while the 2nd and 3rd place teams face off in a best-of-five game series. The Division final (round 3) is also a best-of-five series. The Conference final and Calder Cup final are both best-of-seven series.
Last season, the Marlies finished 4th while the Belleville Senators finished 5th. The Senators beat out the Marlies two games to one in a series that saw all three games go to overtime. In a short series like that, anything can happen. Plus, while those two teams are beating each other up, the other three teams are getting rested and healthy for the next round. Finishing in the top three is a huge advantage.
Marlies Individual Highlights
With the Marlies only scoring 11 goals in the five games, no one player really lit the lamp. Logan Shaw was the top point-getter with four points, all assists. Jacob Quillan tallied three goals to keep his recent surge of hot play going. Alex Steeves notched two goals in the five games and dropped to second in AHL scoring with 34 goals, two behind league-leader Matej Blumel. Steeves added an assist, giving him three points. Three other players recorded three points: Robert Mastrosimone (2G, 1A), Nick Abruzzese (3A), and William Villeneuve (3A).
Dennis Hildeby once again carried the load in goal, playing just over 157 minutes in three appearances. Hildeby allowed five goals on 66 shots over the three games. Matt Murray played four periods, allowing three goals on 32 shots. Murray started the last game but left after the 1st period. Murray took a hard hit behind the net by Belleville’s Cole Reinhart with just 16 seconds left in the 1st period and appeared to be in some discomfort. He finished up the remaining 16 seconds of the period but was replaced by Hildeby in the 2nd.
Other than the fact he left the game, I have seen nothing reported as to the extent of the injury. Coach John Gruden did not mention Murray leaving the game in his postgame press conference or in another conference held yesterday. There have also been no news reports of it, leading me to guess Murray leaving the game was more precautionary than anything serious. Artur Akhtyamov made one appearance, a 3-2 loss to the Charlotte Checkers.
Marlies Off-Ice Moves
There was as much happening off the ice as there was on it. First, the Marlies acquired 29-year-old, 6’3”, 225 lb forward Brandon Baddock from the Rockford IceHogs for “future considerations.” Baddock is known for his physicality and has totaled 901 minutes in penalties over his 7-year AHL career. He is also not afraid to drop the gloves. According to the website Hockeyfights.com, Baddock has had over 80 fights in his hockey career. While Baddock has scored just 25 goals in 426 AHL regular-season games, he did score a nice goal in his second game with Toronto, driving to the net while fighting off a Belleville player and tucking the puck in behind Senators’ goalie Malcolm Subban.
Baddock’s NHL career consisted of 8:24 of ice time in one game for the Montreal Canadiens in 2021/22. Baddock did not score a point or engage in a fight in that game, but he did register six hits. With Kyle Clifford injured and Ryan Reaves (who is with the Marlies but has yet to play a game) most likely heading back to the big team once the rosters open up for the playoffs, it appears this deal is meant to replace what the Marlies are missing in their absence.
The Marlies Games Over the Past Weekend
The Marlies also introduced two rookies to their roster this week. The Maple Leafs signed two undrafted college players upon the completion of their collegiate season. They are 23-year-old, 6’3”, 185 lb forward John Prokop and 21-year-old, 6’1”, 205 lb forward Luke Haymes. Both Prokop and Haymes practiced with the Marlies this week and could see action as early as this weekend when Toronto plays three games in three days.
The Marlies lost to Laval on Friday by a score of 4-1. Then, they beat the Belleville Senators by a score of 2-1. On Sunday afternoon, they lost to the Bridgeport Islanders by a score of 5-4.
[Note: Thanks to Stan Smith for the information in this post.]
Related: Maple Leafs’ Line Combos: What’s Working What Needs Improved
