"For the opening 25 minutes of this game, the Toronto Marlies produced some of their best five-on-five hockey this season. Organized breakouts, adherence to their structure, and a relentless forecheck allowed the Marlies to dominate offensive-zone time and force the Syracuse Crunch to defend for long stretches. Two defensive breakdowns later, Toronto allowed two goals in 37 seconds. Two penalties later, the Marlies were down 4-1, and the game was basically curtains."
"Syracuse generated a single scoring chance of note in an opening frame where Toronto held the clear upper hand. Dennis Hildeby turned aside an effort by Gabriel Szturc at the midway mark in what was a quiet period for the big netminder. Toronto continually disrupted the Crunch's attempts to break out of their zone, allowing the Marlies to spend large chunks of time on the front foot."
"Toronto picked up where they left off in the middle frame, with Borya Valis coming close to doubling the lead. The Marlies also felt hard done by after they looked set to score a second; Cedric Paré was about to seize on a rebound from Bo Groulx's initial effort, but he was hooked with no call. From that point on, Toronto imploded."
The Toronto Marlies controlled the opening 25 minutes with strong five-on-five play, organized breakouts, and an aggressive forecheck that created extended offensive-zone time. Dennis Hildeby made at least one notable save while Syracuse managed only a single serious chance in the first period. A misplaced Halverson pass was intercepted and led to a Travis Boyd goal. Toronto created further chances early in the second, including a near-goal on a rebound before a non-call on a hook against Cedric Paré. Momentum shifted after that sequence, and defensive mistakes plus penalties produced a multi-goal swing that decided the game.
Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove
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