With a 2-1 win over the Utica Comets on Friday night, the Toronto Marlies clinched a postseason berth for the eighth straight season. Adam Brooks scored the game winning goal late in the third period to seal the win for the Marlies.
The opening period was an even back and forth affair as both teams looked to tilt the ice in their favour. Each goaltender faced eight shots but neither team found the back of the net in the opening 20 minutes.
Mason Marchment opened the scoring at 16:43 of the second period, capitalizing on a power play opportunity. Michael Carcone fired the puck on Comets’ goaltender, Michael Leighton who made the initial stop, but the rebound came off his pads and onto the stick of Marchment who was ready and waiting to tap it home. Jordan Subban picked up the secondary assist on the power play goal. The Marlies outshot the Comets 9-6 in the middle frame and held a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard after 40 minutes of play.
The Comets solved Kasimir Kaskisuo and evened things up just past the halfway mark of the third period. With time winding down and the score locked at 1-1, the Marlies battled to restore their lead. With three minutes to go, Timothy Liljegren was called for tripping, sending the Marlies to the penalty kill. Just over a minute into the Comet’s power play, Nicholas Baptiste was able to corral the puck after it came off Kaskisuo’s pads, before sending Adam Brooks off to the races. Brooks had good jump on the last Comets defender and was able to get the puck to his backhand and shovel it past Leighton to put the Marlies back in front with 1:25 to go. Jordan Subban picked up the secondary assist on Brooks’ game-winning-goal for his second point of the night.
