Marlies 'Crunched" By Syracuse

February 7, 2009

Marlies Crunched by SyracuseStapleton Extends Point Streak to Three Games in Loss

(TORONTO) – The Toronto Marlies dropped a 4-1 decision to the Syracuse Crunch in front of 3,233 fans at Ricoh Coliseum. Despite outshooting the Crunch 43 to 15 the Marlies came up short and have now lost two straight games.

Prior to puck drop, Tim Stapleton was honoured for being named the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for period ending February 2, 2009. The AHL awarded Stapleton with a glass plaque for his achievement.

Nikita Filatov and Maksim Mayorov both scored late first period goals to give the Crunch a 2-0 lead despite being out-shot 12-8. Filatov was able to break in off the left wing and snap a shot over the shoulder of Monroe. Mayorov then came in on a break-away and was able to slide the puck through Monroe’s five-hole.

John Vigilante made it 3-0 Syracuse with his seventh of the season just over three minutes into the second period.

Jiri Tlusty finally got the Marlies on the board five minutes into the period on a Toronto power play. Stapleton faked a slapshot from the point and then used a wrist shot that was tipped by Tlusty who beat Crunch starting goalie Sebastian Dahm. Mark Bell and Stapleton each collected assists on Tlusty's 10th of the season. The assist extended Stapleton’s point streak to three games.

Derek Mackenzie jumped on a loose puck in the neutral zone and fired it into the Marlies empty net securing the 4-1 victory for Syracuse.

The Marlies host the Grand Rapids Griffins tomorrow afternoon at Ricoh Coliseum at 4:00 p.m. During tomorrows game Darryl Boyce and Mark Bell will each be play with their hair dyed pink as the Marlies and Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation team up to fight cancer.

ICE CHIPS: Marlies starting goalie Adam Munro made only his fourth home start of the season tonight…Andre Deveaux was back in the line-up for the Marlies, his first time since November 15 at Manitoba…Nikita Filatov played his first game at Ricoh Coliseum…Filatov captained Team Russia to a bronze medal finish at the 2009 World Jr. Championships…Going into the tonight’s game, Stapleton had notched back-to-back multi-point games…Anton Stralman, who was reassigned earlier in the day suited up for the Marlies…Stapleton has recorded six points (four goals, two assists) over his past three games.

SCORING SUMMARY
First Period
1. SYR N. Filatov (8) (MacDonald) 18:112. SYR M. Mayorov (10) (Rome, Kroll) 18:21

Second Period
3. SYR J. Vigilante (7) (Mayorov, Smith) 3:18

Third Period
1. TOR J. Tlusty (10) (Bell, Stapleton) PP 4:554. SYR D. MacKenzie (14) EN 18:30

Shots
TOR SYR
43 15

THREE STARS
1. SYR: Maksim Mayorov 2. SYR: Nikita Filatov3. SYR: Sebastian Dahm

SOURCE: torontomarlies.com