Marlies Come Close In Final Minute, But Can't Find Tying Goal

(ROCKFORD, IL) – As they say, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Despite a valiant effort in the final minutes, the Marlies were unable to muster up a tying goal, as they were shutout 1-0 by the IceHogs in Rockford on Saturday night.

Evan Brophey had the only goal of the game just over five minutes into the first period, after finding a loose puck on the side of the goal, and beating Justin Pogge who had no chance on the play.

Toronto had a few scrambles in front of the net in the second and third period, but were unable to slip the puck past Corey Crawford. With the net empty in the final minute of the third, Jiri Tlusty had a chance in tight, but Crawford made the save. Jack Skille was racing back up the ice for the empty net, but Anton Stralman was called for holding in the race. Kris Newbury was also given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the same play, giving Rockford a 5-on-3 power play with 46 seconds left in the game.

Earlier in the day, Chicago and Columbus made a trade that sent Michael Blunden to Syracuse for Adam Pineault. Due to the weather and the travel, Pineault showed up to play the third period for Rockford.

Crawford made 24 saves for the shutout, while Pogge blocked 21 shots.
The Marlies head to Des Moines where they will face the Iowa Chops on Tuesday night.

SOURCE: torontomarlies.com

Lundmark Nets OT Winner On Power Play

January 9, 2009

(MOLINE, IL) - Special teams play a bigger role some nights, and this night was one of them.

Jamie Lundmark scored on a 4 on 3 power play 32 seconds into overtime, as the Marlies dropped a 3-2 decision to the Quad City Flames on Friday night at the I Wireless Center.

Kyle Greentree and David Van der Gulik had the other Flames goals. Bates Battaglia and Anton Stralman scored for Toronto, who lost it's first overtime game of the season.

Battaglia opened the scoring shorthanded in the first period when he hooked up with a Jiri Tlusty for a 2 on 1 rush, that lead to Battaglia having a wide open net to beat Matt Keetley. Just over five minutes later, Stralman knocked a shot from the slot through Keetley's legs on the power play for the 2-0 lead after the first.

Greentree got the Flames on the board with the only goal of the second period, but Toronto was solid killing off a 5 on 3 power play, which included a couple of big saves by Adam Munro.

Early in the third, Van der Gulik tied the game when he threw a shot on net from the boards. Munro went to kick the puck away, but it slipped under his stick, through his pads and in the goal for the 2-2 game.

With 24 seconds left in the third, Boyd Devereaux tried to clear the puck out of the Marlies zone, and it went over the glass for the delay of game penalty, that carried over to the extra frame.
With traffic in front, Lundmark beat Munro with a blast from the high slot for the game winner, snapping Toronto's three game win streak.

The Marlies were 1 for 1 on the power play, while Quad City was 1 for 4.

Keetley had 36 saves, while Munro stopped 30 shots.

Toronto heads to Rockford to face the IceHogs on Saturday night.

SOURCE: torontomarlies.com

Battaglia Scores Shootout Winner As Marlies Earn First Ever Win In Milwaukee

January 8, 2009

(MILWAUKEE, WI) - Nothing like starting a 9 game road trip with some extra time.

Bates Battaglia had a goal and the eventual shootout winner as the Marlies scored a 3-2 shootout victory over the Milwaukee Admirals at the Bradley Center on Thursday night. It marked the first time in four seasons that the Marlies won in Milwaukee.
Jiri Tlusty had the other Toronto goal while Andrea Thuresson and Nick Spaling scored for the Admirals.

After Thuresson opened the scoring in the second period, Tlusty tied the game by driving the net and getting a shot away that was stopped by Mark Dekanich, but the rebound fluttered in the air, when Tlusty banged it out of the air and in. Late in the period, Anton Stralman drove down the wing and his slap shot hit the stick of the Admirals defenceman and came right to Battaglia who had a wide open net to give Toronto the 2-1 lead.

In the final minute of the third, the Admirals had the empty net and Spaling was able to bounce a rebound over the shoulder of Justin Pogge to tie the game 2-2.

Tim Stapleton and Patric Hornqvist also scored in the shootout.

Pogge stopped 21 shots for the win, while Dekanich made 31 saves in the loss.

Toronto faces the Quad City Flames on Friday.

SOURCE: torontomarlies.com

AHL announces Canadian broadcast deal with TSN

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today a multi-year agreement with TSN that will see “Canada’s Sports Leader” broadcast the next three AHL All-Star Classics nationally. The leading English-language sports network in Canada, TSN will begin its American Hockey League coverage with the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Charter Communications, which is set for January 25-26 in Worcester, Mass. “This partnership represents a fantastic opportunity for Canadian hockey fans to follow the best and brightest young professional players as they compete in the top development league in the world,” said David Andrews, AHL President and CEO. “Our All-Star Classic each year is a showcase of the future stars of the NHL, and we’re excited to be able to bring the excitement of the event to TSN’s viewers.” The 2009 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Charter Communications will be produced by the New England Sports Network (NESN) and will air on a series of regional sports networks in the United States in addition to TSN in Canada. The 2009 AHL All-Star Skills Competition will take place on Sunday, January 25 (4:00 ET), with the 2009 AHL All-Star Game following on Monday, January 26 (7:00 ET).

2009 All Star Planet USA Team Announced

The AHL has announced the PlanetUSA team for the 2008 AHL All-Star Game in Worcester, MA. For Marlies fans, this was a great announcement as our veteren defensemen, Jaime Sifers made the team (even though he would probably be MUCH HAPPIER in his TML jersey!)The team comprises 24 players – 13 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders – born outside of Canada. AHL fans determined the starting lineups via on-line balloting at theahl.com, while a committee of AHL coaches selected the remainder of the rosters. All 29 AHL teams are represented by at least one All-Star.

The team's players are:

Forwards
Keith Aucoin, Hershey
x-Chris Bourque, Hershey
x-Nikita Filatov, Syracuse
x-Nathan Gerbe, Portland
Martins Karsums, Providence
Tim Kennedy, Portland
Petri Kontiola, Rockford
Drew Miller, Iowa
Joe Motzko, Chicago
Michael Ryan, Albany
Ryan Potulny, Springfield
Jeff Taffe, W-B/Scranton
Ryan Vesce, Worcester


Defensemen
Rory Fitzpatrick, Rochester ("C")
Jonas Junland, Peoria
Mattias Karlsson, Binghamton
x-Jakub Kindl, Grand Rapids
Ben Lovejoy, W-B/Scranton
Bobby Sanguinetti, Hartford
Jaime Sifers, Toronto
x-Yannick Weber, Hamilton


Goaltenders
Jeff Frazee, Lowell
Daniel Larsson, Grand Rapids
x-Cory Schneider, Manitoba

x-starters

Head Coach: Don Granato, Chicago
Assistant Coach: Jason Christie, Chicago
Assistant Coach: Wendell Young, Chicago
Athletic Trainer: Kevin Kacer, Chicago
Equipment Manager: Craig Kogut, Chicago


The 2009 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Charter Communications will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League competing in the 2009 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, January 25 (4:00 p.m. ET), and the 2009 AHL All-Star Game on Monday, January 26 (7:00 p.m. ET). The event will be televised nationally in the United States and Canada.

Leafs Assign Kulemin to the Toronto Marlies

Brian Burke, president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Wednesday that forward Nikolai Kulemin has been assigned to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.In 40 games with the Maple Leafs this season, Kulemin registered 14 points (seven goals, seven assists), eight penalty minutes and averaged 13:55 of ice time. The rookie from Magnitogorsk, Russia, was Toronto’s second choice, 44th overall, in the 2006 Entry Draft.

2009 AHL All Star Canadian Team Announced

The AHL has announced the Canadian team for the 2008 AHL All-Star Game in Worcester, MA.


The team comprises 24 players – 13 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders – born in Canada. AHL fans determined the starting lineup via on-line balloting at theahl.com, while a committee of AHL coaches selected the remainder of the roster.

The team's platers are:

Forwards
Steve Downie, Norfolk
x-Alexandre Giroux, Hershey
x-Claude Giroux, Philadelphia
Mike Iggulden, Bridgeport
Jason Krog, Manitoba
Corey Locke, Houston
Brett MacLean, San Antonio
Mark Mancari, Portland
x-Chris Minard, W-B/Scranton
Cal O'Reilly, Milwaukee
Teddy Purcell, Manchester
Martin St. Pierre, Providence
Mike Santorelli, Milwaukee


Defensemen
x-Johnny Boychuk, Providence
Kyle Cumiskey, Lake Erie
Cody Franson, Milwaukee
Bryan Helmer, Hershey ("C")
x-Derek Joslin, Worcester
Andrew MacDonald, Bridgeport
Brett Palin, Quad City
Danny Syvret, Philadelphia


Goaltenders
Mike Brodeur, Rochester
Barry Brust, Houston
x-Brian Elliott, Binghamton


x-starters

Head Coach: Bob Woods, Hershey
Assistant Coach: Mark French, Hershey
Athletic Trainer: Matt White, Worcester
Equipment Manager: Vinny Ferraiuolo, Worcester

The 2009 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Charter Communications will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League competing in the 2009 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, January 25 (4:00 p.m. ET), and the 2009 AHL All-Star Game on Monday, January 26 (7:00 p.m. ET). The event will be televised nationally in the United States and Canada.