Budsfan
Registered User
- Sep 17, 2006
- 19,218
- 1,365
Round 3, Game 4: Marlies vs. Hershey
By Sherry Jean, Posted on May 27, 2016
Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Toronto Marlies and Hershey Bears is set for 7:30pm tonight at Ricoh Coliseum. The Marlies currently trail the Bears 3-0 in the series. Catch all of the action on TSN2.
Game 3 Summary
Josh Leivo opened the scoring for the Marlies, recording his third goal of the post season.
Colin Smith scored his first goal of the post season 8:09 into the first period.
Mark Arcobello collected his eighth assist of the post season on the Marlies opening tally.
Stuart Percy recorded his third assist of the playoffs on the Josh Leivo goal.
Ben Smith assisted on the Colin Smith goal; his fifth assist and seventh point of the post season.
Three teams in AHL history have come back from a 0-3 series deficit. The last team to do so were the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2013 (per AHLPR).
Puck drop is at 7:30pm on TSN2 and TSN1050. Don’t forget to follow the Marlies on Twitter and tune in to our #MarliesLive chat.
TSN2 Channel Listings
Cable Provider SD HD
Bell Fibe 401 1401
Bell Satellite 402 1402
Rogers 407/495 98/994
Shaw 182 237
Cogeco 862
Telus 401 851/1401
MTS 21 1021
Access Communications 282 582
SaskTel 112 412
Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe isn't ready for summer vacation yet
The Marlies are starting at a 3-0 deficit against the Hershey Bears in the AHL Calder Cup conference final, but coach Keefe isn't ready to give up.
By Kevin McGranSports Reporter
Thu., May 26, 2016
Toronto Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe isn’t a rah-rah guy, at least not in public. His interviews don’t come across — like those of Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock’s — as motivational speeches. There is a calmness to Keefe’s approach.
But if there is a key similarity between Keefe and his mentor, Babcock, it is a shared optimism, an ability to take a negative and frame it as a positive.
So a 3-0 deficit to the Hershey Bears in the AHL Calder Cup conference final is not a hole to Keefe. It’s an opportunity.
“The expectation is that we’re going to lose,” said Keefe after an optional practice on Thursday. “Nobody is giving us much hope, given the situation we’re in and how we played. There’s a nice opportunity now for the guys to reveal themselves in a positive way, to get themselves up off the mat.”
This is Keefe’s first season coaching in the pros. His star has risen quickly since he got the coaching bug in 2006-07, winning the championship with the Tier II Pembroke Lumber Kings and joining executive Kyle Dubas, first with the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL and now in the Leafs organization.
Combining all of his seasons with Pembroke, the Soo and the Marlies, Keefe’s teams have amassed a regular-season record of 193-55-13.
The Leafs hope his history of winning rubs off on his Marlies players and bubble up eventually to the Leafs.
“It’s important what’s going on around here,” said Keefe. “It’s a positive for everyone to still be playing hockey at the end of May. That’s a good thing. It’s good for our players to know that hockey doesn’t end in April.
“Hockey is played well into June. You have to earn your way there. You want everybody to play that long. That’s the goal. When you prepare for the season, you should plan a short summer. If it ends up long, you should be pretty upset about that. That’s what we’re trying to build around here.”
Babcock couldn’t have said it any better than Keefe.
The Marlies remain hopeful of a short summer, but are precariously close to getting out the golf clubs. They are not supposed to be in this position. The talk from the Maple Leafs front office all season was how they were grooming prospects in the minors, having them learn how to win together in the AHL and bring that winning spirit with them when their time comes in the NHL.
But as rich as the team believes it to be in prospects, none of the big names — from William Nylander through Zach Hyman, Connor Brown and Nikita Soshnikov — have performed well against Hershey. The Marlies were the AHL’s highest-scoring team, but have five goals through three games against the Bears.
“Things happen in sports,” said Keefe. “It’s a chance to respond here now, and really, it’s ‘what do you want to be remembered for?’ You’re going to be remembered one way or another the rest of the way, good or bad.
“You’re going to be remembered for how you perform the remainder of this series beginning on Friday night.”
As well, goaltending has proved a problem with neither Antoine Bibeau nor Garret Sparks eliciting much confidence. Bibeau, who was pulled after allowing four goals in a little over two periods on Wednesday night, will start Game 4.
“Both guys have been shaken a little bit,” said Keefe. “But both have played well at different times.”
It’s happened only three times in the history of the AHL that a team has rallied to win a series it trailed 3-0. The last time was 2013.
“The task at hand is daunting, it’s overwhelming when you look big picture,” said Keefe. “But short term, there’s a game Friday night we can win. The opportunity for us to come off the mat and come out swinging is one that will reflect positively on our guys.”
It's do or die for Marlies in Game 4
By Rob Longley, Toronto Sun
TORONTO - Forget the goaltending for a moment — though that is high on the list of the list of concerns for the Marlies as they desperately attempt to avoid elimination in the AHL’s Eastern Conference final.
And forget that a team that led the league in regular-season scoring has managed just five goals in three games against the upstart and suddenly extremely confident Hershey Bears.
If this Marlies team, loaded with future Maple Leafs, is to climb out of an 0-3 hole in the best-of-seven series starting with Game 4 here on Friday, it will need to show much more.
“Friday night is going to roll around and we’ll see who has the things that you can’t teach,” said Marlies forward and alternate captain, Rich Clune. “(Coach Sheldon Keefe) and the rest of the staff here have taught us everything about how to play the game, X’s and O’s. We do all this development and everything, it’s the best program I’ve ever seen, hands down.
“But Friday it will be a chance to see who's got some heart.”
At times in the first three games of the series, that great hockey intangible has been missing from a Marlies team that rolled through the regular season.
It certainly was absent in Game 1 this past Friday in Hershey, a 3-1 loss in which the Marlies barely competed much of the night. And once the goaltending damn broke in Wednesday’s 8-2 embarrassment against the Bears, the commitment was once again brought into question.
Both Clune and Keefe believe that the Marlies have it in them to battle back. Against a Bears team that is brimming with confidence and is getting superb goaltending from Justin Peters, it won’t come easily, however.
“The task at hand is daunting,” said Keefe, who allowed his team a light, optional practice on Thursday. “It’s overwhelming when you look big picture, but short term there’s a game Friday night we can win. The opportunity for us to come up off the mat and come out swinging is one which will reflect very positively on our guys.”
NET PAINS
It had to be a painful conversation when Keefe and Marlies general manager Kyle Dubas discussed the goaltending options for Friday’s possible elimination game.
Ultimately, the decision was made to go with Antoine Bibeau, who has handled the bulk of the action this post-season but was pulled after allowing four goals on Wednesday, the last of them a crucial Bears goal early in the third period of Game 3.
While Bibeau didn’t necessarily earn the return start, Garret Sparks inspired even less confidence when he allowed goals on three of the first five shots he faced.
"It’s a concern, clearly,” Keefe said when asked Thursday about the confidence of his goaltenders. “Both guys have shown that they’ve been shaken here a little bit. But that said, we’ve got both guys that have played extremely well for us at times so there is confidence on that end of it as a team.
“Antoine Bibeau is going (on Friday) and he’s going to be great, just as he was in the Albany series and just as he was in the regular season all the way through. Certainly they are shaken, but we have confidence in them.”
SCORING DROUGHT
The Marlies won’t be able to mount a comeback without a return of a high-flying offence that led the AHL with an average of 3.88 goals per game in the regular season.
The Marlies have yet to have a two-goal lead at any point in the Eastern Conference final.
“We’re going to do everything we can to get momentum our way and try to put something together,” said Marlies forward Colin Smith, who had a slick breakaway goal in Wednesday’s loss. “(The Bears) have a lot of skill, but so do we. We haven’t touched our potential yet and that’s what we’re focused on.”
The Marlies could also use an off-night from Hershey goaltender Peters, who struggled in the regular season but has a stellar 10-4 record in these playoffs plus a goals against average of 1.74 and .937 save percentage.
“We did feel the team that defended the best and got the better goaltending would eventually win the series,” Bears coach Troy Mann said. “So far, we all know Justin Peters has been great for us.
By Sherry Jean, Posted on May 27, 2016
Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Toronto Marlies and Hershey Bears is set for 7:30pm tonight at Ricoh Coliseum. The Marlies currently trail the Bears 3-0 in the series. Catch all of the action on TSN2.
Game 3 Summary
Josh Leivo opened the scoring for the Marlies, recording his third goal of the post season.
Colin Smith scored his first goal of the post season 8:09 into the first period.
Mark Arcobello collected his eighth assist of the post season on the Marlies opening tally.
Stuart Percy recorded his third assist of the playoffs on the Josh Leivo goal.
Ben Smith assisted on the Colin Smith goal; his fifth assist and seventh point of the post season.
Three teams in AHL history have come back from a 0-3 series deficit. The last team to do so were the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2013 (per AHLPR).
Puck drop is at 7:30pm on TSN2 and TSN1050. Don’t forget to follow the Marlies on Twitter and tune in to our #MarliesLive chat.
TSN2 Channel Listings
Cable Provider SD HD
Bell Fibe 401 1401
Bell Satellite 402 1402
Rogers 407/495 98/994
Shaw 182 237
Cogeco 862
Telus 401 851/1401
MTS 21 1021
Access Communications 282 582
SaskTel 112 412
Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe isn't ready for summer vacation yet
The Marlies are starting at a 3-0 deficit against the Hershey Bears in the AHL Calder Cup conference final, but coach Keefe isn't ready to give up.
By Kevin McGranSports Reporter
Thu., May 26, 2016
Toronto Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe isn’t a rah-rah guy, at least not in public. His interviews don’t come across — like those of Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock’s — as motivational speeches. There is a calmness to Keefe’s approach.
But if there is a key similarity between Keefe and his mentor, Babcock, it is a shared optimism, an ability to take a negative and frame it as a positive.
So a 3-0 deficit to the Hershey Bears in the AHL Calder Cup conference final is not a hole to Keefe. It’s an opportunity.
“The expectation is that we’re going to lose,” said Keefe after an optional practice on Thursday. “Nobody is giving us much hope, given the situation we’re in and how we played. There’s a nice opportunity now for the guys to reveal themselves in a positive way, to get themselves up off the mat.”
This is Keefe’s first season coaching in the pros. His star has risen quickly since he got the coaching bug in 2006-07, winning the championship with the Tier II Pembroke Lumber Kings and joining executive Kyle Dubas, first with the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL and now in the Leafs organization.
Combining all of his seasons with Pembroke, the Soo and the Marlies, Keefe’s teams have amassed a regular-season record of 193-55-13.
The Leafs hope his history of winning rubs off on his Marlies players and bubble up eventually to the Leafs.
“It’s important what’s going on around here,” said Keefe. “It’s a positive for everyone to still be playing hockey at the end of May. That’s a good thing. It’s good for our players to know that hockey doesn’t end in April.
“Hockey is played well into June. You have to earn your way there. You want everybody to play that long. That’s the goal. When you prepare for the season, you should plan a short summer. If it ends up long, you should be pretty upset about that. That’s what we’re trying to build around here.”
Babcock couldn’t have said it any better than Keefe.
The Marlies remain hopeful of a short summer, but are precariously close to getting out the golf clubs. They are not supposed to be in this position. The talk from the Maple Leafs front office all season was how they were grooming prospects in the minors, having them learn how to win together in the AHL and bring that winning spirit with them when their time comes in the NHL.
But as rich as the team believes it to be in prospects, none of the big names — from William Nylander through Zach Hyman, Connor Brown and Nikita Soshnikov — have performed well against Hershey. The Marlies were the AHL’s highest-scoring team, but have five goals through three games against the Bears.
“Things happen in sports,” said Keefe. “It’s a chance to respond here now, and really, it’s ‘what do you want to be remembered for?’ You’re going to be remembered one way or another the rest of the way, good or bad.
“You’re going to be remembered for how you perform the remainder of this series beginning on Friday night.”
As well, goaltending has proved a problem with neither Antoine Bibeau nor Garret Sparks eliciting much confidence. Bibeau, who was pulled after allowing four goals in a little over two periods on Wednesday night, will start Game 4.
“Both guys have been shaken a little bit,” said Keefe. “But both have played well at different times.”
It’s happened only three times in the history of the AHL that a team has rallied to win a series it trailed 3-0. The last time was 2013.
“The task at hand is daunting, it’s overwhelming when you look big picture,” said Keefe. “But short term, there’s a game Friday night we can win. The opportunity for us to come off the mat and come out swinging is one that will reflect positively on our guys.”
It's do or die for Marlies in Game 4
By Rob Longley, Toronto Sun
TORONTO - Forget the goaltending for a moment — though that is high on the list of the list of concerns for the Marlies as they desperately attempt to avoid elimination in the AHL’s Eastern Conference final.
And forget that a team that led the league in regular-season scoring has managed just five goals in three games against the upstart and suddenly extremely confident Hershey Bears.
If this Marlies team, loaded with future Maple Leafs, is to climb out of an 0-3 hole in the best-of-seven series starting with Game 4 here on Friday, it will need to show much more.
“Friday night is going to roll around and we’ll see who has the things that you can’t teach,” said Marlies forward and alternate captain, Rich Clune. “(Coach Sheldon Keefe) and the rest of the staff here have taught us everything about how to play the game, X’s and O’s. We do all this development and everything, it’s the best program I’ve ever seen, hands down.
“But Friday it will be a chance to see who's got some heart.”
At times in the first three games of the series, that great hockey intangible has been missing from a Marlies team that rolled through the regular season.
It certainly was absent in Game 1 this past Friday in Hershey, a 3-1 loss in which the Marlies barely competed much of the night. And once the goaltending damn broke in Wednesday’s 8-2 embarrassment against the Bears, the commitment was once again brought into question.
Both Clune and Keefe believe that the Marlies have it in them to battle back. Against a Bears team that is brimming with confidence and is getting superb goaltending from Justin Peters, it won’t come easily, however.
“The task at hand is daunting,” said Keefe, who allowed his team a light, optional practice on Thursday. “It’s overwhelming when you look big picture, but short term there’s a game Friday night we can win. The opportunity for us to come up off the mat and come out swinging is one which will reflect very positively on our guys.”
NET PAINS
It had to be a painful conversation when Keefe and Marlies general manager Kyle Dubas discussed the goaltending options for Friday’s possible elimination game.
Ultimately, the decision was made to go with Antoine Bibeau, who has handled the bulk of the action this post-season but was pulled after allowing four goals on Wednesday, the last of them a crucial Bears goal early in the third period of Game 3.
While Bibeau didn’t necessarily earn the return start, Garret Sparks inspired even less confidence when he allowed goals on three of the first five shots he faced.
"It’s a concern, clearly,” Keefe said when asked Thursday about the confidence of his goaltenders. “Both guys have shown that they’ve been shaken here a little bit. But that said, we’ve got both guys that have played extremely well for us at times so there is confidence on that end of it as a team.
“Antoine Bibeau is going (on Friday) and he’s going to be great, just as he was in the Albany series and just as he was in the regular season all the way through. Certainly they are shaken, but we have confidence in them.”
SCORING DROUGHT
The Marlies won’t be able to mount a comeback without a return of a high-flying offence that led the AHL with an average of 3.88 goals per game in the regular season.
The Marlies have yet to have a two-goal lead at any point in the Eastern Conference final.
“We’re going to do everything we can to get momentum our way and try to put something together,” said Marlies forward Colin Smith, who had a slick breakaway goal in Wednesday’s loss. “(The Bears) have a lot of skill, but so do we. We haven’t touched our potential yet and that’s what we’re focused on.”
The Marlies could also use an off-night from Hershey goaltender Peters, who struggled in the regular season but has a stellar 10-4 record in these playoffs plus a goals against average of 1.74 and .937 save percentage.
“We did feel the team that defended the best and got the better goaltending would eventually win the series,” Bears coach Troy Mann said. “So far, we all know Justin Peters has been great for us.
