Recharged Marlies look for steal in Syracuse
Toronto was dominated by the Crunch on the road early in series, but tide has turned
When the Toronto Marlies were last in Syracuse, goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo had been smoked for five goals on 18 shots in a little more than one period, and it looked like the Marlies were no match for the Crunch. But the tables have turned. The Marlies head into Syracuse for Game 5 of their Calder Cup playoff series, feeling good that it’s tied 2-2.
“With each of these four games, we’ve been able to build positives from negatives, fix the problems, and take steps forward,” Kaskisuo said. “After each game you get ready to regroup, refocus and get ready for the next game.
“I feel like we’ve killed their speed, and took the game over and played to our strengths.”
The Marlies have fought through some adversity this series, including the loss of centre Frederik Gauthier. Coach Sheldon Keefe has added and dropped players such as Rich Clune, Mike Sislo, Brett Findlay and William Wrenn to patch together a lineup — sometimes to match the Crunch, sometimes to give a bangedup player a break.
And Kaskisuo’s ability to put one bad game behind him — basically treat it more as something to learn from than something to regret — is a strength his teammates admire.
“If you have one bad game and you let in a couple of goals, it doesn’t mean you’re playing bad,” star winger Kasperi Kapanen said.
“He’s been awesome for us. It’s really impressive to see what he did, come into Game 3. It was a big confi- dence boost for us.”
All of this seems to have given the Marlies a renewed sense of purpose, since they are now in a position where one win in Syracuse would turn the series in their favour.
“We took care of business and elevated our game the past couple of days,” Kapanen said. “We have a lot of good energy in the locker room right now.
“We’re going to try to go to Syracuse to steal a game.”
They go in on a high, but Keefe is mindful that the Marlies’ two home wins were by no means dominating victories. Road games are a different animal.
“When you’re on the road, every- thing has to be done that much more consistently,” Keefe said. “You can’t have a shift off. You can’t miss an assignment.
“As much as we played better the last two games, in one we have to come back late to win it, the other is a one-goal hockey game right to the end. The margin for error is very small. It gets tighter on the road.”