The Toronto Marlies were pushed to the limit by the Albany Devils, needing a late rally and buzzer-beating save in Game 7 to finally put away one of the AHL’s stingiest teams.
It was an ugly, grinding series — a stark contrast from what they should see against the Hershey Bears, the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, in the Eastern Conference final.
The Bears had the AHL’s third-ranked offence in the regular season, and like the Marlies they did it with youth playing a prominent role. Hershey has nine players under the age of 21, three rookies on the blue line, and three more up front who are among the team’s top offensive players. They aren’t short on skill either, as Carter Camper showed in Hershey’s seven-game series against Wilkes-Barre.
Toronto’s top offensive player, meanwhile, is a familiar face in Hershey.
Connor Carrick had another strong series against the Devils, finishing with seven points in seven games including a big goal in the series clincher. The 21-year-old, who leads the AHL in scoring with 14 points in 10 games, spent most of the season with the Bears before being dealt to the Maple Leafs at the deadline as part of the Daniel Winnik trade.
William Nylander could also be a bigger factor if things open up against Hershey. The Devils did a good job of keeping him in check, holding Nylander to 1.55 shots per game after he averaged 2.94 during the regular season. Despite a few uninspiring games that got him called out by head coach Sheldon Keefe, he still managed to pick up four points in six games and his lone goal was a laser.
In goal the Bears are riding the hot hand of Justin Peters, who hasn’t looked back since taking the net from Dan Ellis in Round 1. Peters is right near the top of the AHL in goals-against average (1.78) and leads all starters in save percentage (.935).
The Marlies have turned things over to Bibeau in goal after he and Sparks shared the load against Bridgeport. Since taking over starting duties in Game 2 versus Albany, Bibeau has posted a .915 save percentage and 2.55 GAA.
Toronto will open on the road Friday in Hershey as the series this round is a 2-3-1-1 format.
Regular season head-to-head
TOR 6-2, HER 5-2
Schedule
Game 1: Fri., May 20 – Toronto at Hershey, 7:00 p.m.
Game 2: Sat., May 21 – Toronto at Hershey, 7:00 p.m.
Game 3: Wed., May 25 – Hershey at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: Fri., May 27 – Hershey at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
*Game 5: Sun., May 29 – Hershey at Toronto, 3:00 p.m.
*Game 6: Tue., May 31 – Toronto at Hershey, 7:00 p.m.
*Game 7: Thu., June 2 – Hershey at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
*if necessary
Toronto Marlies
Record: 54-16-5-1 (114 points), First in North Division, First in Eastern Conference
Power play: Regular Season – 17.4% (10th) | Playoffs – 21.3% (3rd)
Penalty kill: Regular Season – 84.0% (12th) | Playoffs – 86.5% (7th)
Goal differential: 294 GF (1st) | 191 GA (4th)
Leading Scorer: Regular Season – T.J. Brennan, D (69 GP, 25 G, 43 A) | Playoffs – Connor Carrick, D (10 GP, 6 G, 8 A)
How they got here: Beat Bridgeport 3-0 in Round 1, Beat Albany 4-3 in Round 2
Three to Watch
Kasperi Kapanen
Kasperi Kapanen was arguably the Marlies’ best forward in their second-round series against Albany.
The 19-year-old had three goals and five points against the Devils and made his biggest impact when the team needed it most. Kapanen finally broke through the Devils’ defence in Game 7 midway through the third period with a nice solo rush to tie the game, and minutes later set up Connor Carrick for the go-ahead goal.
It was an up-and-down rookie season for Kapanen, but the 2014 first-round pick has been at his best so far in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Connor Brown
Connor Brown is tied with teammate Connor Carrick for second in the AHL with six goals thanks to a three-goal performance against the Devils in the semis.
What has stood out about Brown’s game in the playoffs is not just the goals, but how he has created offence.
He’s been effective at working the puck down low or off the rush and has spread out his offence between even strength and special teams. Brown has four points at even strength, two on the power play and a pair of short-handed goals, including the opener in Game 7. Oh, and four of his goals have come on a breakaway.
Josh Leivo
He often doesn’t receive the accolades that some of his teammates get, but Josh Leivo has been a key player during the Marlies’ playoff run.
Whether it was through his strong cycle game or getting under the skin of his opponent, Leivo was a noticeable presence against Albany and finished the series with five points to raise his total to eight in 10 playoff games.
One thing to keep an eye on is who Leivo lines up with against Hershey. After spending most of the post-season next to Mark Arcobello, Leivo was reunited with William Nylander in Game 7 and that line was instrumental in turning the game around. It will be interesting to see if they are kept intact against Hershey.
Hershey Bears
Record: 43-21-5-7 (98 points), First in Atlantic Division, Third in Eastern Conference
Power play: Reg. Season – 16.5% (18th) | Playoffs – 10.9% (11th)
Penalty kill: Reg. Season – 82.8% (17th) | Playoffs – 88.1% (6th)
Goal differential: 259 GF (3rd) | 220 GA (15th)
Leading Scorer: Regular Season – Chris Bourque, LW (72 GP, 30 G, 50 A) | Playoffs – Carter Camper, C (12 GP, 4 G, 5 A)
How they got here: Beat Portland 3-2 in Round 1, Beat Wilkes-Barre 4-3 in Round 2
Three to Watch
Chris Bourque
The Toronto Marlies are going to have their hands full with Chris Bourque.
Bourque, the son of NHL Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, has been one of the AHL’s most productive players for several years. He led the AHL in scoring for the second time this season with 30 goals and 80 points in 70 games, four years after racking up 93 points en route to his first scoring title in 2011-12.
The three-time Calder Cup winner has been held relatively quiet in the playoffs with only seven points in 12 games, but he has fired a ridiculous 45 shots on goal and it’s only a matter of time before they start going in.
Jakub Vrana
Jakub Vrana joins Nylander and Kapanen as 2014 first-round picks who will play a big role in this series.
The speedy Czech winger, taken 13th overall by the Washington Capitals, is coming off a standout rookie season with the Bears in which he scored 16 goals and 34 points in 36 games. He has been equally as impressive in the playoffs with a team-best four goals and nine points in 12 games.
Riley Barber
Riley Barber is another Capitals prospect who enjoyed a solid rookie season in the AHL.
The former Miami University of Ohio star was second on the team in goals (26) and points (55), which makes his production in the playoffs a little surprising. Barber only has one goal and an assist in 12 games thus far, but he has the ability to be a game-breaker if he gets going.
