Marlies drop game two 7-4 against Americans in Calder Cup Playoffs

The Toronto Marlies failed to convert with home ice advantage and now face elimination heading to Rochester down 2-0 in the North Division Finals.

They lost by a score of 7-4 in game two after dropping game one 4-3.

In what could potentially be their final home game of the season, Toronto did not play to their usual standards.

The first goal of the game came halfway through the opening period. With three seconds left on captain Logan Shaw’s minor penalty, Jiri Kulich scored his fifth goal of the postseason.

The Marlies got the next blow to tie the game up as Nick Abruzzese scored a powerplay goal 1:20 into the second period. Abruzzese spent some time with the Maple Leafs this season, this was his second of the playoffs.

It was all Amerks from here on as they took over the second period. Jeremy Davies scored three minutes after Abruzzese as another Marlies penalty just expired. Lukas Rousek scored a minute and a half after Davies to make it 3-1. 

Just a minute later Sean Malone scored his second of the playoffs to go up 4-1, ending Marlies starter Erik Kallgren’s night. He allowed four goals on 18 shots. 

Now, with Keith Petruzzelli in net, he would allow the first shot he saw to get passed him just 12 seconds later by Joseph Cecconi making it 5-1.

Toronto would get one back with Max Ellis scoring his first of the playoffs on the powerplay. They trailed 5-2 heading into the third.

Five minutes into the third period it appeared as though Toronto was on the verge of a comeback. Pontus Holmberg would score on the powerplay beating Malcom Subban to cut the deficit to 5-3.

However, it was short lived as Michael Mersch would deposit his fifth of the postseason on the powerplay for Rochester’s sixth of the game two minutes later. Both Amerks powerplay goals came from offensive zone penalties for the Marlies. Brendan Warren followed up with his first on the open cage making it 7-3.

Alex Steeves would score with just under two minutes to go on the powerplay with a nice slapshot from the point. Special teams were clicking for the Marlies tonight, scoring all four of their goals on the man advantage. 

Subban stood on his head in some tough spots for the Amerks. The netminder stopped 34 of 38 shots.

The Marlies head to Rochester for game three on Wednesday as they hope to avoid elimination trailing the best of five series, 2-0.

TOR Scoring: Abruzzese PP (2), Ellis PP (1), Holmberg PP (3), Steeves PP (1)

ROC Scoring: Kulich PP (5), Davies (1), Rousek (1), Malone (2), Cecconi (1), Mersch PP (5), Warren EN (1)