Toronto Marlies Extend Win Streak To 5 with Win Over Belleville

The Toronto Marlies defeated the Belleville Senators 4-2 on Wednesday night. Toronto improves to 12-3-1-0 on the road and 8-2-0-1 for the month of December.  

Late in the first, Logan Shaw scored on the power-play at 16:16 to earn his tenth of the season and give Toronto the early lead. Shaw currently leads the team in power-play points (6-8-14).  

In the second, the goals for Toronto kept coming. Early in the period, Mikhail Abramov scored at 2:03 in the frame to extend Toronto’s lead to two. Later, Graham Slaggert scored his first career shorthanded goal at 12:56 to make it 3-0 for the visitors. Just seven seconds later, Belleville responded with a goal by Jarid Lukosevicius at 13:03 to keep the Senators within two. Before the period was over, Bobby McMann added another goal for Toronto on the power-play at 18:38 to make it 4-1 heading into the third.  

In the final frame, Belleville added a late goal by Scott Sabourin at 19:45, but it was not enough to secure the win.  

Joseph Woll stood tall in the Marlies crease stopping 36 of the 38 shots he faced. Woll is now 6-0-0 since returning from injury.

The Marlies return to action on December 31st when they host the Rochester Americans. This will be the 1st game of a 6-game home stand for Toronto, their longest of the season. Puck drops at 4:00pm on the Toronto Maple Leafs App and AHLTV.

SCORING SUMMARY

Toronto: L. Shaw (10) PP (N. Abruzzese, S. Der-Arguchintsev), M. Abramov (3) (M. Ellis), G. Slaggert (4) SH (M. Johnstone, M. Rifai), B. McMann (4) PP (N. Abruzzese, W. Villeneuve)
Goaltender: J. Woll (36/38) W

Belleville: J. Lukosevicius (6) PP (J. Hawryluk), S. Sabourin (8) PP (J. Lukosevicius, A. Breton)
Goaltender: M. Sogaard (29/33) L

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ON THE SCORESHEET

• Logan Shaw opened the scoring on the power play at 16:16 of the first period. He leads all Marlies in power play points (6-8-14).
• Mikhail Abramov scored at 2:09 of the second period. He has nine points (3 goals, 6 assists) in 17 games with the Marlies.
• Graham Slaggert scored shorthanded at 13:03 of the second period. This was his first career shorthanded goal. He has five points (4 goals, 1 assists) in 26 games this season.
• Bobby McMann scored on the power play at 18:38 of the second period. He has eight points (4 goals, 4 assists) in 13 games this season.
• Nick Abruzzese had the primary assists on Shaw’s first period goal and McMann’s second period goal. He has recorded six points (3 goals, 3 assists) through his last five games.
• Semyon Der-Arguchintsev registered the secondary assist on Shaw’s first period goal. He has points (2-7-9) in seven consecutive games. This matches a career-high for consecutive games with an assist (7). He has 25 points (7 goals, 18 assists) in 26 games this season.
• Max Ellis picked up the lone assist on Abramov’s second period goal. He has points (1-2-3) in three consecutive games. Ellis has nine points (3 goals, 6 assists) through 21 games this season.
• Marc Johnstone had the primary assist on Slaggert’s second period goal. He has four assists through his last four games.
• Marshall Rifai recorded the secondary assist on Slaggert’s second period goal. He has points (1-4-5) in four consecutive games. He has eight points (2 goals, 6 assists) in 28 games with the Marlies.
• William Villeneuve had the secondary assist on McMann’s second period goal.
• Joseph Woll stopped 36 of 38 shots he faced. In games where he has made 30 or more saves, he is 13-5-2. He is 6-0-0 this season with a 2.00 goals against average and 0.935 save percentage.

TEAM NOTES

• Greg Moore will serve as head coach for the North Division at the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic.
• The Marlies went 4-for-6 on the penalty kill and 2-for-4 on the power play. Toronto is 16-6-1-1 when scoring on the power play and 9-4-1-0 when allowing a goal on the penalty kill. Toronto recorded two or more power play goals in a single game for the ninth time this season.
• Belleville had a 38-33 edge in shots in all situations. Marshall Rifai and Graham Slaggert led the Marlies with five shots on goal. Toronto is 10-4-1-1 when outshot by their opponent.
• The Marlies are 13-6-0-1 against North Division opponents and are 4-2-0-0 against the Senators. Toronto has outscored Belleville 18-17.

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POSTGAME QUOTE

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HEAD COACH GREG MOORE

On tonight’s game:

They came out really hard in the first period. They forechecked really well. We were a little slow, we weren’t skating. We weren’t playing our physical game that we normally do. We just had a talk in the first intermission to get back to our style of hockey and how we know we can play and the guys responded right away and got the momentum going in the right direction. It also helped to have Hoef step up for our team there and bring some momentum with his fight.

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On representing Toronto at the All-Star Classic:
It’s certainly an honour but it’s really not a representation of me as it is our entire organization, the work our players have put in, our coaching staff, management, support staff. It’s been really fun working with the group this year. Just really proud that I get to be the person who represents our team at the event.

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LOGAN SHAW (1 GOAL)

On tonight’s game:

It was an emotional game, for sure. I thought we did a pretty good of controlling that. First period obviously, we had Woller stand on his head and gave us a chance. Special teams made a difference but I think just being able to stay with it and not collapse with their pressure in the first. It’s a long day travelling here the same day but it was a very highly intense game with a lot of emotion in it, we just did a great job of controlling that.

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On the team’s goaltending:

All of our goalies right now, we have four of them here which is unusual but the work ethic that they’re putting in, it’s next man up. Whoever’s game it is to play, they’re ready to go. Every one of them is giving us a chance to win. It’s nice to see and internal competition is always nice to push each other.

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On Greg Moore named to the All-Star Classic:

It’s well deserved. In the dressing room, he credited it to the team and the players which is a part of it but you have to be able to want to play for your coach in order to win. Structure has to be there and all three coaches deserve it but Moore taking the recognition is awesome. Coming in here, I didn’t know he was but playing for him is great and the way he’s got our team working, everyone’s pulling in the same direction, it’s nice to see and it’s very well deserved.

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GRAHAM SLAGGERT (GAME-WINNING GOAL)

On the team heading into the new year:

For us, we feel like the sky’s the limit. We know how good of a locker room we have so, it’s coming to the rink every day making sure we’re putting the work in and to be the best team in the league.

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UPCOMING GAMES:
*All times Eastern Standard Time

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.
January 11 vs. Manitoba – 7:00 p.m.