Can Anyone Stop Tlusty???

March 4, 2009

Tlusty and Marlies Drop Bruins 6-4

(TORONTO) – The Toronto Marlies used a six-point night from red-hot Jiri Tlusty to defeat the Providence Bruins 6-4 on Wednesday night in front of 2,530 fans at Ricoh Coliseum. Tlusty’s six points (two goals, four assists) set a Marlies single game franchise high.

The Marlies opened the scoring with a tick-tack-toe play from their top line of Bates Battaglia, Jiri Tlusty and Tim Stapleton. Battaglia finessed a cross-ice pass to Stapleton who fired the puck on goal; after hitting a Bruin player in front of the goal, the puck went off Tlusty and past Providence starting goalie Tuukka Rask.

Providence was able to tie the game up at 1-1 before the first intermission with a goal from Mikko Lehtonen that beat Marlies starter Justin Pogge.

Stapleton ripped a slapshot past Rask on a Marlies power play to put Toronto back in front 2-1. Tlusty gained the Providence zone and passed it off to Stapleton who fired it home. Jeremy Williams collected the secondary assist on the goal.

Providence was awarded a penalty shot 7:11 into the second period. Martin St. Pierre took the shot and was denied by the blocker of Pogge. The Bruins would tie the game at 2-2 on a power play goal from Lehtonen who tallied his second of the game. The goal was debated by the Marlies as the puck caromed off Lehtonen’s leg and past Pogge.

Jaime Sifers fired a shot from the blueline that Tlusty tipped past a screened Rask to make it 3-2 Marlies. The goal was Tlusty’s second of the night and 23rd of the season. Battaglia picked up the other assist, giving him 82 helpers as a Marlie, moving into second place on the all-time assist list.

After the Bruins tied it at 3-3, Stralman and Williams each scored power play goals in just over five minutes apart mid-way through the third period.

Stapleton added a late insurance goal to cap a four-point night (two goals, two assists) in his first game since being reassigned by the Maple Leafs.

In four out of the past five games, Tlusty has registered at least two points or more. Battaglia registered four assists tonight and Williams had a goal and a helper.

The Marlies travel to Hamilton on Friday night (7:30 pm) and on Sunday afternoon (4:00 pm) to take on the Bulldogs. Toronto hosts the Hershey Bears this Saturday at Ricoh Coliseum with puck drop scheduled for 4:00 p.m.

ICE CHIPS: Marlies defenceman Richard Petiot was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning organization earlier in the day…Tim Stapleton returned to the Marlies line-up after playing in three games with the Maple Leafs…On Tuesday, Jiri Tlusty was named CCM/AHL Player of the Month for February…The Marlies entered the game with a 4-0-0-0 record on Wednesday night home games…Josh Engel played four games with the Providence Bruins earlier this season.

SCORING SUMMARY
First Period
1. TOR J. Tlusty (22) (Stapleton, Battaglia) 16:39
1. PRO M. Lehtonen (22) (Boychuck, St. Pierre) 18:26

Second Period
2. TOR T. Stapleton (17) (Tlusty, Williams) 0:10 PP
2. PRO M. Lehtonen 2 (23) (St. Pierre, Boychuk) 13:33 PP
3. TOR J. Tlusty 2 (23) (Sifers, Battaglia) 17:11
3. PRO B. Marchand (16) (unassisted) 19:24

Third Period
4. TOR A. Stralman (7) (Tlusty, Stapleton) 8:09 PP
5. TOR J. Williams (18) (Tlusty, Stralman) 13:17 PP
4. PRO V. Sobotka (14) (McQuaid, St. Pierre) 15:04
6. TOR T. Stapleton 2 (18) (Battaglia, Tlusty) 15:45

Shots
TOR PRO
30 30

THREE STARS
1. TOR: Jiri Tlusty
2. TOR: Tim Stapleton
3. PRO: Mikko Lehtonen

SOURCE: torontomarlies.com