Crunch time for Marlies should lift their profile for a look by Leafs

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There won’t be a better opportunity than a late winter playoff race to bring out the best in Toronto.

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How the Maple Leafs respond from a six-point hole in a crowded field won’t be known until games resume late next week. For the farm club Marlies, it’s already crunch time in the standings — and a chance to earn a look with the parent team down the stretch.

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Wins such as Monday’s against division-leading Laval, a hard-earned two-zip margin that wilted in the third period, before a late tying goal and 4-3 shootout decision, came with a huge exclamation mark. With Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving watching on his “working vacation”, among 13,000 at Scotiabank Arena for a Family Day matinee, the big-league milieu was ideal.

“We want to be here to win, but there are obviously a lot of guys who deserve to be in the NHL,” captain Logan Shaw said. “This time of year is a grind, but it’s good for the young guys to experience those meaningful games. I hope these guys get a chance, but in order to get that, you have to be down here to work and earn it.

“It’s a fun time of year for the Leafs and the Marlies, both pushing for the playoffs. We haven’t hit our best yet. We had a good game Saturday against these guys (Laval won 4-2 as part of a run of 7-0-0-1) and today was the same, we had a lead in the third, broke a bit, but to win is big for the group.”

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Big game from Groulx

Big for Bo Groulx as well with the game’s first star scoring the opener, then assisting on Shaw’s goal all before the middle period was a minute old. Only a great save by Montreal Canadiens’ future goalie Jacob Fowler prevented Groulx from making it 3-0.

The former Anaheim Duck, who signed a $1.63 million US deal with the Leafs last summer, has already set a personal best 42-point season and is trending upwards as the next centre the Leafs might consider after a good look at Jacob Quillan up to the Olympic break. He’s not a newcomer, the 26-year-old son of former NHLer player and AHL coach Benoit Groulx played 65 games for his draft team, Anaheim.

“If someone gets called up, like Q did, we’ll all cheer him on,” Groulx said. “But everyone here has the common goal of playoffs. I haven’t made it there in six years. We’ve been focused on that since the Christmas break. We’ve taken a step and I really like our starts now (a scoreless first period where AHL top scorer Lauret Dauphin and the potent Laval offence were held to seven shots).

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“They were a problem and it’s fixed. We just have to close games now.”

Groulx , who has been playing in all situations this season, took a nice pass from Ryan Tverbeg on the first goal. Tverberg was elevated to the first line with Groulx and Shaw on Monday with Vinnie Lettieri too banged up to play. Tverberg, a late-round draft pick from 2020, had two helpers.

“We’ve been trending in the right direction the past month and he’s been as well,” coach John Gruden said of the Richmond Hill-born Tverberg. “With Lettieri out, I thought he took full advantage of that opportunity today.”

If the Leafs fade from the post-season picture in coming weeks, and don’t make trades, it will open another window for the prospects. Gruden knows what the shrinking regular season calendar means for those yet to see NHL action.

Learning from winning tight games

“At the end of the day, the players can only control what they can going over the boards. (Management) is always looking for guys who are doing things right, who are hounds, finishing their checks, playing in straight lines.

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“Winning tight games like this is development, too. Laval is a good team and you can really see what you have when you play against them. There’s not much time and space.”

There’s no need for netminder Dennis Hildeby to prove himself, with health always a concern with Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll when the NHL schedule compacts again in coming days. He wasn’t helped Monday by a teammate’s deflection, a giveaway and an uncovered man that netted the Rocket three goals in less than seven minutes to start the third.

But he made 23 saves, counting all four Laval shootout attempts, while Alex Nylander was the only Marlie to beat Fowler.

Like their parent team, the Marlies are on the periphery, nudging into fourth place in the division with Monday’s win to qualify, but aiming one spot higher to avoid a mini-series play-in.

Lhornby@postmedia.com
X: @sunhornby

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