For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter
UPDATE - Marlies center Frederik Gauthier left Game 2 of the North Division final after being checked into the boards by Syracuse defenseman Jake Dotchin in the second period. Gauthier was knocked off balance by the Crunch blueliner and stayed on the ice for awhile before teammates escorted him to the locker room.
Dotchin was given a five minute major for interference and a game misconduct. He is the same player who knocked Toronto forward Kasperi Kapanen out for seven weeks with a low check in mid-January and also went low on Auston Matthews late in the season when he was called up by Tampa Bay.
*******
The Toronto Marlies finished only a point behind Syracuse and went 5-2-1 against them during the regular season, but the difference between the AHL North Division winner and runner up appeared to be cavernous.
Former Leaf Byron Froese’s goal late in the second period proved to be the game-winner as the Crunch took Game 1 of the North Division Final 3-1 at the Onondaga War Memorial Arena on Friday night.
Syracuse dressed a dozen players who saw time with the injury-ravaged Tampa Bay Lightning this season and appeared unfazed when Andreas Johnsson opened the scoring at 1:39 of the first period.
The Crunch rebounded quickly and dominated the opening 20 minutes and tied the game on Erik Condra’s power play goal, but were held at bay by rookie goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo, who made 26 stops and almost single-handedly keeping the Marlies in the game.
Take another look as Andreas Johnsson battled out front, stayed with the puck and put the #Marlies on the board first.#MarliesLive pic.twitter.com/qzKwTwX8Ak
— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) May 5, 2017
Toronto had trouble getting shots from the point past the Syracuse defensive zone coverage and could not generate any good scoring chances with the man advantage, going 0 for 4 on the night.
It was a particularly rough night for Leafs prospect Andrew Nielsen, who took three minor penalties and tussled with a Crunch player near the Syracuse bench on Froese’s winning goal.
“I took a couple penalties tonight, but I think I’m going to continue to play physical and try to get under the skin of opponents.… Nielsen said after the game. “You are going to cross the line sometimes, but I’ve got to find that line and stay on it and not go over it.…
Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated after the game that he may choose to tinker with his lineup after a loss with games on back-to-back nights and recently signed 2016 draft pick Carl Grundstrom did take the pre-game skate on Friday.
*******
A terrific no-look pass from Mitch Marner to Travis Konecny, but Petr Mrazek makes a spectacular save. #IIHFWorlds pic.twitter.com/V0AhSnj2dA
— Grady Sas (@GradySas) May 5, 2017
Hockey-VM: Snygg passning av William Nylander nà¤r Jonas Brodin skickar in 4-2. @Trekronorse #twittpuck #hockeyVM pic.twitter.com/rxbdB1f0gp
— C More Sport (@cmoresport) May 6, 2017
*******
It has to give Maple Leafs fans a bit of relief when another team goes through what they did in 2013. The Edmonton Oilers led 3-0 the Anaheim Ducks with four minutes left in regulation in the critical Game 5 of their best-of-seven series and could not hold the lead, as the Ducks pulled goalie John Gibson three times, scored each time and won on Corey Perry’s tally in double overtime.
Rickard Rakell tying goal (with 15 seconds left) went to video review and was allowed, in spite of the fact that Ryan Kesler made contact with Oilers goalie Cam Talbot.
This is not equal to Brett Hull’s “in the crease… non-call in the 1999 Stanley Cup Final, but the decision by video review in Toronto may have changed the fate of the Oilers and something controversial is bound to happen between now and the Cup Final in June.
*******
Listen to Part II of the season-ending episode of the Blue N' White Tonight Podcast :
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.******* KINDLE USERS: Please sign up for Maple Leafs Buzz, which includes a free-of-charge 14-day trial and is just 99 cents per month afterwards. For more information click here.