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The Maple Leafs’ farm team began its all-star break this week on a high, a 4-2 weekend win in Syracuse preceded by three straight regulation shutouts.

As forward Andreas Johnsson and defenceman Justin Holl headed to the American Hockey League all-star game in Utica on Monday night, the Marlies solidified their hold on top spot of the North Division with a record of 32-11-0-1. That includes a mark of 22-6-0-0 against divisional opponents this season.

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The three shutouts, including a 1-0 shootout loss, were a franchise record in the Ricoh-Coliseum era, followed by Johnsson’s natural hat trick, the first three-goal game of his AHL career. He now leads the Marlies with 20 goals, the second time he’s reached that number since coming from Sweden in the 2016 AHL playoffs.

Garret Sparks leads the AHL with a goals-against average of 1.60 and save percentage of .944. Calvin Pickard is second at 1.94 and .928.

Winger Kasperi Kapanen made a brief stop with the Marlies during the NHL all-star break, but was back on the Leafs’ fourth line at Monday’s practice. Both the Leafs and winger Nikita Soshnikov are not yet ready to confirm he’ll take the offer of a conditioning stint on the farm, though Leafs coach Mike Babcock saw no way around it.

“We have to figure that out. He hasn’t played hockey (for weeks) and we have to get that right.”