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The Toronto Marlies continued their winning ways at Ricoh Coliseum to open up their Calder Cup second round series against the Syracuse Crunch, winning their fourth straight in Game 1 of the North Division final on Thursday.
Adam Brooks, Dmytro Timashov, Travis Dermott, Mason Marchment, Pierre Engvall and Ben Smith scored for Toronto and Garret Sparks made 28 saves for the victory.
Toronto was the beneficiary of some injury news from their opposition, as AHL playoff scoring leader Matthew Peca and veteran forward Gabriel Dumont were late scratches and are out day-to-day.
Timashov SCORES on the PP! 🚨
— David Nestico (@davidnestico200) May 3, 2018
Marlies retake the lead! 2-1 after 20 mins 🔥#MarliesLive pic.twitter.com/PvgOStm9ri
Toronto opened the scoring midway through the first, as Martin Marincin's point shot deflected off the skate of Brooks past Crunch goalie Eddie Pasquale. Syracuse tied the game late in the period, as Mathieu Joseph took advantage of a miscue on the Marlies power play between Dermott and Andreas Johnsson and beat Sparks on a shorthanded breakaway, but Toronto regained the lead in the final minute on the same power play as Trevor Moore’s backhand pass set up Dmytro Timashov for his club-leading fourth goal of the playoffs.
The clubs traded power-play goals in the middle frame. Syracuse tied the game as former Leaf draft pick Carter Verhaeghe's long shot dribbled past Sparks, but the Marlies responded later in the second with Dermott scoring on the man advantage.
TRAVIS DERMOTT! 🚨
— David Nestico (@davidnestico200) May 4, 2018
Marlies regain the lead, 3-2! 🔥#MarliesLive pic.twitter.com/KcTdrtUgZI
Syracuse outshot the Marlies 16-5 in the third period, but it was Toronto who scored to increase their lead, as Frederik Gauthier’s centering pass deflected off of Marchment past Pasquale. The two-goal cushion was short-lived, as Syracuse’s Kevin Lynch narrowed the lead to 4-3, but Toronto responded with Moore setting up Engvall for his third of the playoffs.
Lynch scored again with the Crunch’s goalie pulled for the extra attacker, but Marlies captain Ben Smith scored into an empty net to ice the game and give Toronto the lead in the series.
Engvall scores, it's 5-3 Marlies! 🔥#MarliesLive pic.twitter.com/ZN39jmmbPE
— David Nestico (@davidnestico200) May 4, 2018
The Marlies have won four times in a row at home against Syracuse in the playoffs, but head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game that his club’s performance left a lot of room for improvement.
“You’re going to be happy with the win,… Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game. “You’re in a playoff series, you need to get the wins so we are happy with that. We are well aware that we need to be a whole lot better than we were today. It was a sloppy hockey game and one that we were not very good in.…
Andreas Borgman returned to the Toronto lineup after missing most of the first round series vs. Utica with an unspecified injury, but the blueliner left the game and hobbled to the dressing room in the third period.
According to the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby, Borgman will be scratched for Game 2 and replaced by Andrew Nielsen.
Here's a Hockey podcast you should have a listen to.
— The Leafs Convo (@TheLeafsConvo) May 4, 2018
The Marlies get the jump on the Crunch, who'll get the jump in the John Tavares sweepstakes? The Leafs?@MikeInBuffalo https://t.co/T1EpQamZLm
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