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The Toronto Marlies were a well-oiled machine for most of the AHL regular season, but their struggles began after the trade deadline in March after key players like Joey Anderson and Adam Gaudette were traded, Joseph Woll was recalled, and Bobby McMann was injured.
The Marlies clinched the North Division, received a bye and after losing the opener to Utica, won three straight to eliminate the Comets, but Toronto were outplayed in all aspects by the Rochester Americans in their best-of-five Division Final series. The Amerks capped off a three-game sweep with an 8-4 victory over the Marlies at Blue Cross Arena on Wednesday.
Pontus Holmberg was the star of the game for Toronto, scoring a hat trick and assisting on Topi Niemela’s third period goal, but it was not enough to overcome a pitiful defensive effort and a ferocious Rochester attack that responded to the first of Holmberg’s goals 17 seconds into the game with three goals before the 10-minute mark of the first period.
PONTUS 🚀 pic.twitter.com/7fS2kLfWsO
— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) May 17, 2023
Joseph Woll gave up seven goals on 35 shots in his first AHL game since being recalled by the Leafs in early April, but the young goalie did stop a number of odd-man breaks and breakaways with Toronto attempting to get back into the game.
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Not much has changed with the status of Leafs GM Kyle Dubas. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, TSN’s Chris Johnston, and The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun are all reporting that the MLSE board had tabled a long-term extension to Dubas, but that his comments on Monday regarding possibly taking a step back took the organization by surprise and that currently everything seems to be in a holding pattern until he comes to a decision.
There has to a time window with this decision, since the Leafs have an extremely busy summer on the agenda, including deciding the fate of head coach Sheldon Keefe and the signing of star center Auston Matthews, and fielding potential trade offers for forwards William Nylander or Mitch Marner, which all have to be done before the NHL Draft in late June.
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