The Toronto Marlies began the week by breaking a franchise record.

A victory against the visiting Providence Bruins was the fifth straight win on home ice to begin the season, besting the previous high of four set in 2013-14. We’ll have to wait until after the Royal Winter Fair has passed through town to find out whether the Marlies can extend the streak.

That fifth victory looked unlikely after the Bruins had opened up a two-goal lead at the end of 20 minutes. An underwhelming first-period performance from Toronto was followed by a three-goal blast during the middle frame — Tobias Lindberg, Kasperi Kapanen, and Brendan Leipsic all found the net in rapid succession during even strength play. A third period marker from the visitors sent the game to overtime for the first time this season, where a powerplay strike from Andrew Nielsen sealed the extra point with a 4-3 win.

A doubleheader against Albany Devils this past weekend proved a feisty affair, with some animus clearly carrying over after last season’s seven-game playoff series.

Friday night’s game was all about Antoine Bibeau, who turned aside all 37 shots faced to earn his second shutout of the season. Toronto controlled the first period, outshooting the home team 17-5 and taking a lead courtesy of goals from Colin Greening and Lindberg. The Devils grew stronger as the game progressed but the Marlies picked up an insurance marker on the first professional goal from Trevor Moore with ten minutes remaining. Bibeau made 19 saves in the third period and the penalty kill remained perfect on five occasions to ensure a 3-0 victory.

Saturday’s rematch in Albany turned into something resembling a bar-side brawl more than a hockey game. A plethora of fights, dangerous hits, and some ridiculous penalty calls was the order of the day as the three-man officiating crew appeared out of their depth. Toronto lost Travis Dermott to injury as well as Andrew Campbell (he would return later), while Rinat Valiev was assessed a game misconduct.

Shorn of defensemen, the Marlies failed to hold on to a 3-1 lead built up during the first half of the game. Nielsen, Moore and Byron Froese all hit the twine during even strength, but Albany struck early in the third period and always looked likely to complete the comeback, eventually taking the extra point in the shootout.

Five points from a possible six was a good haul from a week in which Toronto rarely played their best hockey. A points percentage of 0.813 has them atop the American Hockey League standings with a 6-1-0-1 record through eight games.

The shootout loss keeps a five-game point streak going and, as referenced earlier, the Marlies are yet to taste defeat on home ice. Toronto, as the first team to hit the 30-goal mark, also lead the league in total offense.

The special teams had a sterner test this week, especially in Albany. The penalty kill looked better, though not without a few wrinkles still to iron out, in allowing two goals on 14 occasions shorthanded. The powerplay also wasn’t without its issues but it proved the difference against Providence.

Player News

– With the shutout on Friday night, Antoine Bibeau now holds the Toronto Marlies franchise for most shutouts with nine. He surpassed Ben Scrivens and Jussi Rynnas, who were both tied at eight. Bibeau has been named the AHL Goaltender of the Month after a 5-0-1 record including two shutouts and a .944 save percentage in the month of October

– Garret Sparks is yet to dress since recording a loss against Rochester. Sheldon Keefe initially reported the goaltender was feeling sore but he has not been healthy enough to back up, with Jeff Glass recently filling that role.

– Travis Dermott was injured by veteran forward Brian Gibbons during the carnage of Saturday night’s game. There is no word on the extent of the injury but Keefe confirmed the rookie is going to miss some time.

– Milan Michálek was a healthy scratch for both games in Albany.

– Rinat Valiev has now dropped the gloves four times in seven outings this season, accruing 54 penalty minutes in the process. Valiev has shown he’s not particularly adept with his fists but he’s not shied away from an invitation.

– William Wrenn made his debut on Friday night, replacing Rinat Valiev in the line-up. The former San Jose draft selection played a solid game that did no harm to his chances of further ice time.

– Nikita Soshnikov was back to his industrious best and looks 100% healthy now after missing a period of time in camp due to injury.

– Byron Froese notched a single goal and leads the team with five.

– A four-point week for Brendan Leipsic takes his tally to thirteen, of which ten are assists. He continues to lead the AHL in scoring and has been named AHL Player of the Month accordingly.

– Rookie Trevor Moore scored in consecutive games and is looking more at ease playing on his off-wing.

– A pair of goals for Tobias Lindberg doubles his points tally, and he continues to be a troublesome presence in front of the net for the opposition.

– Andrew Nielsen continues to be a shining light on the blue line. Two goals and three points for him this week, including a game winner, takes him to seven points in eight games. He’s currently fifth in rookie scoring.

– Kasperi Kapanen kept up his above point-per-game pace with a goal and an assist.

– Andrew Campbell, Viktor Loov and Travis Dermott all registered two assists, and the latter now has five helpers to his name this season.

Toronto Marlies Player Stats – October 31