Toronto Marlies Top Belleville Senators In Boxing Day Classic

The Toronto Marlies defeated the Belleville Senators 3-2 on Monday afternoon in a Battle of Ontario. Toronto improves to 17-15-1-0 when playing at Scotiabank Arena and 7-6-1-0 when playing on Boxing Day.  

In the first period, Belleville opened the scoring with a goal by Joe Carroll at 5:57. Shortly after, Toronto responded with a goal by Alex Steeves at 7:43 to tie the game at one heading into the second. Steeves has 27 points (10G, 17A) in 28 games this season.

Late in the second, Max Ellis scored on the power-play at 16:32 to earn his third of the season and give Toronto a 2-1 lead.

In the final frame, Toronto extended their lead to two with a goal by Noel Hoefenmayer at 3:41. Hoefenmayer now has points (4-2-6) in five consecutive games. Later, Belleville responded with a goal by Egor Sokolov at 7:31 to keep the Senators within one, but it was not enough for them to secure the win.  

Keith Petruzzelli stood tall in the Marlies crease stopping 18 of the 20 shots he faced.  

The Marlies return to action on December 28th when they travel to Belleville to face the Senators. Puck drop is at 7:05pm on AHLTV.

SCORING SUMMARY

Belleville: J. Carroll (1) (M. Boucher), E. Sokolov (8) (R. Grieg, J. Larsson)
Goaltender: M. Sogaard (33/36) L

Toronto: A. Steeves (10) (S. Der-Arguchintsev, B. McMann), M. Ellis (3) PP (J. Blandisi, A. Gaudette), N. Hoefenmayer (9) (M. Rifai, A. Gaudette)
Goaltender: K. Petruzzelli (18/20) W

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ON THE SCORESHEET

• Alex Steeves put the Marlies on the board at 7:44 of the first period. He has points (1-1-2) in consecutive games. Steeves has 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 28 games this season.
• Max Ellis scored on the power play at 16:32 of the second period. He has points (1-1-2) in consecutive games. Ellis has eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) through 20 games this season.
• Noel Hoefenmayer scored at 3:41 of the third period. This was his second consecutive game-winning goal. He has points (4-2-6) in five consecutive games. He is fourth overall amongst defenceman in points (9-15-24) through 25 games this season.
• Semyon Der-Arguchintsev registered the primary assist on Steeves’ first period goal. He has points (2-6-8) in six consecutive games. He has 24 points (7 goals, 17 assists) in 25 games this season.
• Bobby McMann had the secondary assist on Steeves’ first period goal. He has seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in 12 games this season.
• Joseph Blandisi recorded the primary assist on Ellis’ third period power play goal. He has points (5-6-11) in six consecutive games. Blandisi has 18 points (8 goals, 10 assists) in 25 games this season.
• Adam Gaudette had the secondary assists on Ellis’ second period goal and Hoefenmayer’s third period goal. He has 19 points (12 goals, 7 assists) through 20 games this season.
• Marshall Rifai recorded the primary assist on Hoefenmayer’s third period goal. He has seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) in 27 games with the Marlies.
• Keith Petruzzelli stopped 18 of 20 shots he faced. This is his second win this season at Scotiabank Arena. He is 9-4-0-0 with a 3.02 goals against average and a 0.901 save percentage.

TEAM NOTES

• Toronto is 17-15-1-0 at Scotiabank Arena and 7-6-1-0 on Boxing Day.
• The Marlies went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill and 1-for-5 on the power play. Toronto is 15-6-1-1 when scoring on the power play and 10-4-0-1 when not allowing a goal on the penalty kill. Toronto has recorded a power play goal (18) in each home game this season.
• Toronto had a 36-20 edge in shots in all situations. Multiple players (M. Abramov, J. Blandisi, M. Ellis, A. Gaudette, N. Hoefenmayer, M. Kokkonen, M. Rifai, G. Slaggert, A. Steeves) led the Marlies with three shots on goal. Toronto is 8-4-0-0 when outshooting their opponent.
• The Marlies are 12-6-0-1 against North Division opponents and are 3-2-0-0 against the Senators. Toronto has been outscored 15-14 by Belleville.

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POSTGAME QUOTE

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HEAD COACH GREG MOORE

On the physical play:

We want to be a physical team. We want to be a team that’s hard to play against. We need to stay out of the box and not take bad penalties but I think our team does a good job of toeing the line of physicality and not putting ourselves at risk of it.

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On Alex Steeves’ first period goal:

At that moment in the game, it was really important to regain some of the momentum. It was a really tough pass to pick up and get off quickly. That’s something that he identifies as a shooter and that he does really well.

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On penalty kill including limiting Belleville to one shot during the five-minute penalty:

It was a huge moment in the game. Five-minutes are tough to kill off. Our penalty kill has been rolling now. They’ve done a really good job. The unit as a whole just looks really connected and taking a lot of pride in buying in to the role and the job that they’re playing out there. (John) Snowden’s done a great job. He’s very detailed. He works really hard. He’s challenged the group day-to-day. He’s doing a good job leading those guys.

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JOSEPH BLANDISI (1 ASSIST)

On team’s recent performance:
It’s pretty good. The personalities that we have in the dressing room, the coaches are doing a great job with us and we all like fighting for each other. Any time you get that kind of comradery in your dressing room, it’s definitely a recipe for some good results.

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On Toronto’s goaltending:
When you feel confident with your goaltender, you’re able to threaten and make plays offensively. Any time you’re getting a rock in the back of your net, you’re not afraid to give up chances. I think that’s when you get your best offensive opportunities.

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UPCOMING GAMES:
*All times Eastern Standard Time

December 28 at Belleville – 7:00 p.m.
December 31 vs. Rochester – 4:00 p.m.
January 3 vs. Utica – 7:00 p.m.
January 7 vs. Lehigh Valley – 4:00 p.m.
January 8 vs. Laval – 4:00 p.m.