Toronto sink in Lake Erie

The Marlies took their impressive road record (15-1-1-0) to Lake Erie, where the Monsters had won seven of their last nine on home ice.

The home side owned the second best penalty kill in the league before this encounter and were confident after defeating the rampaging Grand Rapids Griffins, who had won fifteen straight games.

A T.J Brennan shot brought the first save of the game from Anton Forsberg between the pipes for Lake Erie. Despite the fast pace, their weren’t many shots, let alone chances, in the opening six minutes. Toronto were fortunate that a few turnovers in their own zone weren’t fully capitalized on.

It’d be the road team who went on the first powerplay of the game. Nikita Soshnikov had a fantastic opening from the high slot, but his effort hit Frattin in front and bounced away from net. Mark Arcobello teed up Soshnikov with a cross-ice feed but the Russian’s effort drifted wide of the far post.

Back at even strength, after Leivo came close to combining with Zach Hyman at the nine minute mark, the home team started to control the play, responding first with a pair of chances for Joe Devin and defenseman Steve Weinstein denied by Bibeau.

Lake Erie was almost gifted a goal as Andrew Campbell knocked Bibeau flat on his back, but the goaltender produced a miraculous save as the home team looked to take advantage of their good fortune.

The closest Toronto came to opening the scoring came on good work from Justin Holl, but the puck wouldn’t quite fall, as Ryan Rupert would have had a good scoring chance had he gained control.

Joe Devin was next frustrated Lake Erie player before the teams exchanged a powerplay, with neither able to take advantage. Toronto came the closest as the final seconds ticked down, with Clune almost finding Carrick in the crease while shorthanded.

Toronto were able to kill the final few seconds of the penalty, but back at even strength it was the home team who continued to drive the play. Right winger Josh Anderson saw his pair of shots turned aside by Bibeau. A horrible giveaway at the eight minute mark should have been costly, but it was Bibeau to the rescue for the umpteenth time after Daniel Zaar walked alone into the slot.

That stop from their netminder prompted a reaction from the Marlies. Carrick drove to the net before dropping the puck back to the trailing Clune, but his onetimer was snaffled by the otherwise-redundant Forsberg.

The opening goal came courtesy of Lake Erie’s top scorers.

Kerby Rychel, working from the left side, looked up to see T.J. Tynan in space and found him with a perfectly weighted pass. Tynan showed patience to shift the puck around Bibeau before sliding the puck home from the acute angle, just past the flailing glove of Toronto’s goaltender.

In the five minutes that followed, the Monsters could have added two or three goals but Toronto hung tough mostly thanks to Bibeau.

Soshnikov was Toronto’s standout player, and on a second effort he came within a whisker of tying the game up. Carrick drew a penalty on the play, but his team failed to test Forsberg on the powerplay. Coming out of the box, Craig gained possession and Bibeau had to be alert to turn the effort aside.

A hooking penalty taken by Clune with six second remaining of the second frame would hurt his team 39 seconds into the third period. Michael Paliotta had time to measure his shot while Bibeau was dealing with a screen in front from Craig, who was conspicuously left alone in front by an absent Marlies penalty kill.

Two minutes later, it should have been 3-0 Lake Erie. Michael Chaput was allowed the freedom of the slot, but Bibeau brought out pokecheck from his box of goaltending tricks to good effect.

Lake Erie must have wondered how the scoreline wasn’t larger as Oliver Bjorkstrand saw his booming shot turned aside by a fine toe save from Bibeau before Anderson was guilty of a bad miss on a feed from Rychel.

It never really looked as though Toronto were going to gain a foothold in this game; they were heavily outshot in the third period, 13-5, while chasing the lead.

They eventually denied Forsberg a shutout by getting on the board with just under five minutes to play. Good work from Clune and Carrick on the back boards led to the latter finding Soshnikov out front, and his quick release was too much for the Lake Erie goaltender to deal with.

Despite pulling Bibeau with 90 seconds remaining, Lake Erie never looked in any danger of giving up the lead or the two points they had well and truly earned in a full sixty minute performance from the home team.

There would have been much to mull over on the bus ride back over the border for a Toronto team that was never able to match their opponents in any department, bar goaltending.

Post Game Notes

– This was only the second time this season that Toronto has lost consecutive games.

– A 28-save performance from Antoine Bibeau, who couldn’t have done much more to keep his team in the game.

– Nikita Soshnikov tallied his tenth goal of the season in 27 appearances (28-goal pace over 76 games) and has a season-high three game point streak going.

– Special teams proved to be the difference on the scoreboard. Toronto were 0 for 4 while Lake Erie scored once on four opportunities.

– Sam Carrick’s assist was his 15th point of the season. He is currently riding a six-game point streak.

– Rich Clune also put up his 15th point of the season. December has been a good month for Clune, with nine points in as many games.

– Mark Arcobello has been recalled to the Leafs today after 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) in his first 23 games with the Marlies.

– The two teams will do battle once again on Thursday afternoon, as Toronto host Lake Erie in a matinee game.

Game Highlights

Marlies Player Stats — Lake Erie 2 vs. Toronto 1