Marlies top Stars in exciting Calder Cup Final opener, Game 2 on Sunday (maple leafs)

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Marlies top Stars in exciting Calder Cup Final opener, Game 2 on Sunday

By Mike Augello

Jun 3, 2018 • 11:13 am

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The Toronto Marlies took a positive first step on the road to an AHL title, coming back on numerous occasions and pulling ahead for good on Trevor Moore’s power play goal midway through the third period in a wildly entertaining 6-5 victory in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Final at Ricoh Coliseum on Saturday.

Moore, who is second on the club in playoff scoring with 14 points, broke his stick during a Toronto man advantage, hustled back to the Toronto bench, rejoined the attack, took a pass from Chris Mueller and snapped a shot past McKenna for the game-winner.

“Yeah, I got slashed there and don’t really know how that happened but got to the bench and (Marlies equipment manager Chris McKeage) was ready for me and just got out there and Mueller made a good pass.… Moore said after the game.

Mueller, who was part of the Texas Stars 2014 Calder Cup Championship club, came back to bite his own club with a momentum changing goal with 15 seconds left in the second period and assists on a pair of third period tallies.

Justin Holl, Frederik Gauthier, Mason Marchment and Martin Marincin also scored for Toronto and Garret Sparks made 32 saves for his 11th postseason win.

The victory was unique from a Toronto perspective, in that they were able to score a half dozen times without any offensive contribution from their top line of Miro Aaltonen, Carl Grundstrom and Andreas Johnsson. The unit which entered the series with a combined 35 points and Johnsson the club leader with 15 points, were completely shut down by the Stars checkers.

"The game was played a lot tighter, whether it is (the Stars) gap control or their back pressure. Things are tighter (and) there is not enough space." Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. "The game today challenged (our top line) and they have to adjust a little bit."

Texas outshot Toronto 11-9 in the first period and opened the scoring on Travis Morin’s power play goal, which had to be reviewed by officials after it was thought that Marlies goalie Garret Sparks had been interfered with.

Toronto tied the contest just over two minutes later, as Holl beat Stars veteran goalie Mike McKenna from an odd-angle along the boards, but Texas jumped back into the lead again on the man advantage later in the first on a breakaway goal from Stars team captain Curtis McKenzie. The middle frame saw a number of momentum and lead changes and a combined 29 shots on goal. The Marlies tied the game midway through the second as Colin Greening set up Gauthier on a point blank scoring chance, but Stars fourth liner Austin Fyten took advantage of a Toronto turnover and put the Stars back in front just 28 seconds later.

Morin, who led Texas in scoring with 61 points this season, tallied for the second time late in the period to extend their lead to 4-2, but Mueller’s goal, that came off an inadvertent deflection of a pass from Ben Smith, gave the Marlies some energy for the third, in which they scored three times. Marchment tied the game early in the third and low-scoring defenseman Martin Marincin went to the net and roofed it past McKenna for his first of the playoffs to give the Marlies their first lead, but that was short-lived as Justin Dowling cashed in on a Sparks rebound to tie the game less than two minutes later.

The Marlies appeared rusty after an eight-day layoff throughout the first two periods and then found their legs in the third, but the Stars also showed that they are a tough opponent with significant AHL experience, which could make the series more difficult than expected.

“I think obviously there (were) a lot of chunks of this game that weren’t very good for us,… Keefe said. “We survived and managed to come out with a win here, not unlike the last two series where we have played on home ice and had to chase the game a little bit and find a way. It was ugly for sure but we are up one and we are going to take it.…

The Marlies and Stars will play Game 2 on Sunday afternoon at Ricoh Coliseum before heading to Texas for Games 3, 4, and 5(if necessary).

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