The Marlies look for elusive win in Syracuse in Game 7, Ville Leino provides a scouting report on Calle Rosen, Sens vs. Pens Game 3, and more in the links.
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Ville Leino on Calle Rosen: “Probably the best skater I’ve played with” (MLHS)
“Calle is probably the best skater I’ve played with, even among the guys in the NHL. He’s an unbelievable skater. He can pass the puck real well. He can shoot hard. He definitely has everything that you need to become an NHL player.”
Winner Takes All Tonight in Syracuse (Marlies.ca)
The Marlies will look to win on the road for the first time this series. Both Toronto and Syracuse hold perfect 5-0 records when playing at home this postseason. However, the Marlies went 2-1-1-0 at Syracuse during the regular season, including a pair of victories on March 31 and April 1.
AHL Notebook: Game 7s will decide Eastern Conference finalists (NHL.com)
Toronto has been outscored 16-7 in the three games at Syracuse. With goaltender Garret Sparks injured, Toronto has relied on Kasimir Kaskisuo, who has an .879 save percentage. Syracuse veteran goaltender Mike McKenna was pulled in Game 4 after allowing three first-period goals in a 3-2 loss, but coach Benoit Groulx started him in Games 5 and 6 instead of Kristers Gudlevskis. McKenna has an .883 save percentage in the series but a .942 save percentage since being pulled.
Sheldon Keefe tries to balance minor-league life with major goals (Toronto Star)
“I’m a guy that asks a lot of the players, expects a lot of the players,” said Keefe. “But at the same time, (I) try to focus on my role and focus on the individual player, and recognize my role in development. Sometimes the two can counteract one another and you have to keep things in perspective.”
World Championships Group Stage Recap: Marner, Nylander, Aaltonen (MLHS)
Through the group stage, Nylander has five goals and 10 points in seven games, which places him tied for fourth in goals and sixth in points, and he’s tied for first in the tournament with a plus-eight. Nylander and Team Sweden will take on the Swiss in the quarterfinal round on Thursday.
Andreas Borgman, Calle Rosen: Scouting reports, Video (MLHS)
[Borgman] has pretty good credentials this year. He was the rookie of the year in the Swedish league. The book I got on him from talking to some other NHL teams who were interested in him is that the agent was maybe selling him as a guy who is going to be a top-four guy or is ready to be a top-four guy in the National Hockey League. Some of the other teams thought that he was maybe more of a third-pairing guy.
Brendan Shanahan endorses Dart Guy’s goal to quit smoking (CBS)
Jason Maskalow, better known as “Dart Guy,” is on a mission to quit smoking with support from none other than the president of the team that gave him free playoff tickets — his beloved Maple Leafs. Maskalow, of Ontario, went viral in part because of his signature dangling cigarette. But after announcing a sponsorship from Nicorette Canada to drop smoking altogether, Dart Guy got a nod of approval — and a new nickname — from Toronto’s Brendan Shanahan.
5 Keys: Penguins at Senators, Game 3 (NHL.com)
Forwards Patric Hornqvist and Bryan Rust, and defenseman Justin Schultz, are out. Each has an upper-body injury, coach Mike Sullivan said. Defenseman Trevor Daley, who took part in the morning skate after missing the past four games with a lower-body injury, could replace Schultz. Daley and defenseman Mark Streit will be game-time decisions, and forward Tom Kuhnhackl, a scratch the past three games, could play based on the morning skate.
Baby Kessel named after Penguins right winger Phil Kessel (WTAE)
Kessel Ryan Hillman was born on Mother’s Day at Butler Memorial Hospital. His parents, Nicole and Adam Hillman, said they didn’t know they were having a boy, but decided that if they did, he would be named after Pittsburgh Penguins right winger Phil Kessel. “The perfect name for our son,” Adam Hillman said. Little Kessel was born while his father played “Let’s Go Pens” in the delivery room, mother Nicole said. Nicole said after baby Kessel was born, they realized, it was meant to be.
