Toronto hockey fans finally have reason to cheer
Marlies capture AHL’s Calder Cup for first time in franchise history with Game 7 win over Texas Stars
Stanley, the Maple Leafs plan to get to you one day.
The consolation prize, for now, couldn’t be better.
Leafs Nation has been starved for a champion for decades, and on Thursday night at the Ricoh Coliseum, the Toronto Marlies gave the organization’s rabid fan base a fine reason to celebrate.
For the first time, the Marlies are Calder Cup champions, their 6-1 win in Game 7 of the American Hockey League final against the Texas Stars driven by an exceptional performance from Andreas Johnsson and some terrific goaltending by Garret Sparks.
Really, though, the 2017-18 Marlies were a team through and through, a group of hungry veterans and eager youngsters coached to a T by Sheldon Keefe.
On Thursday night it was no different. The Marlies were deserving winners in a series that went the distance but was dominated for the majority by the players wearing blue and white sweaters.
With Mike Babcock among the Leafs’ front-office types watching from a private box, Johnsson, playing as though he was possessed, scored the opening goal, set up linemate Carl Grundstrom for a goal in the third that ensured a Marlies victory and then scored again late, not that a Toronto triumph was in doubt at any point.
Soon after, raucous chants of “We want the Cup!” went up in the packed arena.
Johnsson led all players in AHL playoff scoring with 24 points in 16 games. After showing well in a late-season audition with the Leafs, Johnsson then dominated in the AHL, and will be under serious consideration in camp next fall for a role among the Leafs’ top three lines.
And keep in mind his linemates, Grundstrom and Miro Aaltonen, also will have a strong chance of making the club. Sparks had said on Tuesday night, after he was pulled during Game 6, that his confidence level was “extremely high” that he would rebound in the biggest game of his hockey career, and he backed up those words with some excellent goaltending.
Despite facing just 17 shots through the first two periods, Sparks had to make a couple of highlight-reel saves.
His best came during the second when he stretched across the crease to take a goal away from Stars defenceman Dillon Heatherington, who saw the open net disappear as he released a onetimer.
The Stars finally did score with just under nine minutes to play in the game, as Matt Mangene was awarded a goal following a lengthy review to make it 3-1.
But after Grundstrom’s second goal, captain Ben Smith scored into an empty net with two minutes to play. And Mason Marchment scored in the final minute.
After they were stymied in the first period of Game 6 by Stars goalie Mike McKenna, and for much of that game as Texas won, the opening 20 minutes for the Marlies followed a different script on Thursday.
Oh, Toronto still was dominant, but this time, it scored two goals.
The opening score at 10:35 came off the stick of Johnsson, whose initial shot was blocked and fell outside of the crease. Despite being bothered by a Stars defender, Grundstrom was able to control the puck and make a short pass to Johnsson.
Though McKenna was square to the puck, Johnsson, as he was falling, was able to lift a shot over the goalie’s glove.
The Marlies’ second goal again was the result of hard work and was supplied by Marchment with 17.2 seconds before the buzzer sounded to end the first.
Chris Mueller got the puck to Trevor Moore, who waited and then fed an open Marchment in the slot. There was no hesitation on Marchment’s part as he stepped into the puck and unloaded a onetimer past McKenna.
Defenceman Travis Dermott, who appeared to suffer an upper-body injury in Game 4 and then missed Game 5, was out again after playing in Game 6. Dermott’s lineup spot again was filled by Andrew Nielsen.