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Round 2, Game 4: Toronto @ Albany Devils
By Sherry Jean, Posted on May 10, 2016
The Toronto Marlies will look to even up their Round 2 series against the Albany Devils as Game 4 is set for tonight in Albany at 7pm on LeafsTV. The Devils currently hold a 2-1 series lead over the Marlies with a 3-2 win in overtime on Sunday in Game 3.
Game 3 Summary:
Josh Leivo opened the scoring for the Marlies, recording his first goal of the post season. Through six games, Leivo has recorded one goal and three assists.
William Nylander recorded his second goal of the post season, 8:30 into the third period.
Stuart Percy and Justin Holl collected assists on the Nylander tally, the first point for both defencemen this post season.
Antoine Bibeau made his second straight start of the series, turning aside 36 shots in the losing effort.
Puck drop is at 7:00pm on LeafsTV and TSN1050.
Five Takeaways: Round 2, Game 3
Adam Proteau
May 8, 2016
Here are five takeaways from the Marlies’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Albany Devils Sunday at Times Union Center in Game 3 of their second-round AHL playoff series:
Devils’ dangerous penalty kill unit opens and closes regulation-time scoring. Albany had two shorthanded playoff goals entering Game 3, and they struck with their AHL-leading third to open the scoring Sunday. Veteran winger and Devils captain Rod Pelley got credit for the goal, which came at 8:33 of the first period when teammate Mike Sislo’s pass on a 2-on-1 break went off his skate and past Marlies goalie Antoine Bibeau. And, with time winding down in the third period, a 2-1 lead for the visitors and Albany goalie Scott Wedgewood pulled for the extra man, the Devils got their second shorthanded goal of the night (this one, from winger Nick Lappin) with 21 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime.
The Devils’ first goal marked the fourth time in six post-season games this spring that the Marlies have given up the first goal of the game. The good news is Toronto has gone on to win half of those games, but getting off to a better start needs to be a priority – and so does more responsible play when they have the extra man.
Power play chances abound for Toronto, but Marlies can’t convert most of them. The Marlies had no shortage of man advantages in the first two games of this series, with a combined eight opportunities with the extra man in that span. They got exactly that many in Game 3, as Albany went to the penalty box eight times – the second straight game the Devils gave them five power plays or more – but Toronto’s PP unit couldn’t beat Wedgewood, who stopped 25 of 27 total Marlies shots on the night.
Surrendering a shorthanded goal as the Marlies did in the first period is something that will happen at times to any team, but two shorthanded goals combined with not scoring in more than a half-dozen PP chances is something that should happen far less often. And because of that, Toronto’s power play will be a focus for improvement.
Overtime winner hurts that much more because it came on the power play. The Marlies had just finished their eighth power play without a goal late in the overtime frame when defenceman Connor Carrick was sent to the penalty box for kneeing. And Lappin’s second goal of the game ended the contest at 18:40 to give Albany a 2-1 series lead.
A loss was always going to hurt Toronto no matter what form it took, but when the Marlies received so many chances with the extra man to win the game and re-establish home ice advantage, losing Game 3 on the penalty kill stung that much more.
Leivo’s first of the playoffs comes at a crucial moment. Winger Josh Leivo was tied for second on the team in assists (three) heading into Sunday’s action, but the third-year veteran – who finished the regular season with 17 goals in 51 games – registered his first goal of these playoffs and the fifth career post-season goal of his career by getting a shot on that trickled through Wedgewood at 3:50 of the second period to even the score at a goal apiece.
Leivo is one of the more veteran members of this young Marlies squad, but he doesn’t turn 23 until May 26. And although he’s now part of a team with a slew of legitimate offensive menaces, Leivo not so long ago – two years ago, to be exact – amassed three goals and eight points in 12 playoff games with Toronto, and he can be a dynamic player who can draw penalties (as he did Sunday, sending Albany’s Dan Kelly to the penalty box in the third period) and open up room for himself or his teammates. The more production head coach Sheldon Keefe and his staff can get from the Innisfil, Ont., native, the better the Marlies’ chances of eliminating the Devils.
Nylander’s sizzling shot a sign his post-season game is improving. After missing Game 1 of the series, centre William Nylander had difficulty finding his stride in Game 2, and Keefe noted after the game he needed to be better. However, the 20-year-old burgeoning star made his presence felt in a major way Sunday, taking a pass at the half boards and rifling a shot over Wedgewood on the short side at 8:30 of the third period to put the Marlies ahead 2-1 and record his second goal of the playoffs.
Nylander may still have some growing pains to come, but bear in mind, this is a youngster who was participating in just his 10th career professional playoff game. As he showed during the regular season with both the Marlies and Maple Leafs, he can do things with the puck very few of his teammates or opponents can do, and his Game 3 goal was a terrific example.
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