Getting to Know the Toronto Marlies
As the Eastern Conference Finals approach, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms will face the winner out of the North Division - the Toronto Marlies, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the NHL's.. you guessed it.. Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Phantoms and Marlies faced each other just twice in their respective 76 regular season game schedule, but the two top teams in the AHL in the regular season meet for a best-of-seven series with a trip to the Calder Cup Finals on the line.
To get everyone more familiar with the challenges the Marlies pose, Inside AHL Hockey reached out to those who have seen Toronto on an 'up close and personal' level to provide some insights prior to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Views From Common Opponent
First up is Syracuse.com Crunch beat reporter Lindsay Kramer, who covered the final two games of the North Division Finals between Toronto and Syracuse in New York.
[The] Marlies' talent on offense speaks for itself, but they can out-grit you as well as out-skill you - especially on defense. Crunch players spoke of how well they interfered, how hard it was to use their speed to get through them and find open room. Checking line of Moore, Gauthier, Marchment very tough.
Sparks is pretty much as good as his numbers, although he had a couple bad games against Utica.
Toronto poised in hostile surroundings, as 30 road wins would suggest.
Views From Toronto Perspective
Mark Rackham covers the Marlies closely for Maple Leafs Hot Stove, and was very kind in giving some in-depth insights and a real breakdown of the Marlies this season. Rather than piecing together some quotes, I decided to let Mark tell the story:
Toronto’s success is based on a solid structure implemented by the coaching staff and the whole team buying into the concept of playing defense. The number one ranked Penalty Kill through the regular season is testament to that and a huge reason they allowed just 170 goals. Having the AHL’s best goaltender tandem (in my opinion) and an exceptional crop of blue liners obviously helps but every veteran Toronto re-signed or brought in from the outside has contributed. The likes of Colin Greening, Ben Smith, Chris Mueller and Vincent LoVerde have been excellent on and off the ice. Travis Dermott and Andreas Johnsson have proven themselves as every day NHL’ers and their return is a huge boost to the roster.
For Toronto it’s all about sticking to their structure and not veering away from that no matter how opponents attempt to unsettle them. Careful management of the puck in all three zones (a big issue for them in the Utica series) remains an area of key importance.
Alex Lyon has obviously been excellent for Lehigh and I suspect Toronto will attempt to get in around his crease as they did against Thatcher Demko and Connor Ingram in the previous two rounds.
If Lehigh are able to clog up the neutral zone effectively then Toronto may get away from their structure and attempt to force the play. This will lead to the Phantoms gaining possession in crucial areas, perhaps even creating odd man rushes and better scoring opportunities on the Marlies.
The Marlies have such a strong roster from top to bottom that the route to beating them is to work as harder if not harder and be clinical with the chances you create. Toronto have proven themselves strong front runners all season long so scoring the first goal will likely be crucial for Lehigh.
