Marlies beat Laval, advance to AHL’s North Division final

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The Maple Leafs can’t touch the Montreal Canadiens’ playoff success this spring, but their farm team certainly can.

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With a late rally for a 3-2 win Saturday afternoon in Laval, the Marlies endured 3-2 and took the best-of-five series in the deciding game against the Rocket, 3-2.

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Toronto, which finished fourth in the North Division, now advances to the North final against the Cleveland Monsters, affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, a best-of-five starting Thursday in Cleveland.

Vinni Lettieri scored the winner with 9:38 left in regulation after Toronto fell behind 1-0 and 2-1 at Place Bell against the division leaders.

At 4-on-4 midway through the third period, Toronto won an offensive-zone draw and Lettieri beat Rocket goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen for his fifth goal of the playoffs.

Reese Johnson had scored his first career playoff goal to tie the game at 4:57 of the same period. Defenceman and lineup newcomer Blake Smith had struck in his first playoff appearance as a Marlie.

Owen Beck had both goals for Laval, which had not lost in regulation all season when leading before the third period (28-0-1-3).

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“You could sense with the way the game felt, the way it was going, I thought there were some moments where I’m like we’re taking this over,” Marlies head coach John. Gruden told reporters in Laval after the game.

“Even though we were down 2-1, just the way we were starting to play and I knew we had to go out there and execute it, which the players did an unbelievable job with that. I knew we were going to get that next one and then get the one after that.

“All the credit goes to the players and Artie (Marlies goaltender Artur Akhtyamov) made some big saves when he needed to but we stayed with it and we didn’t stray away from the process and again, that’s a great road win against a really good hockey team.”

Gruden and his staff elected to come back with Akhtyamov after Laval beat him three times in two periods through Game 4 in Toronto. He made 20 saves for the Marlies, while Kahkonen stopped 16.

The result extended what has been a good week for incoming senior executive advisor Mats Sundin and general manager John Chayka. They have insisted the team has viable prospects and the series win gives more runway for Easton Cowan, Jacob Quillan, defenceman William Villeneuve, Akhtyamov and Dennis Hildeby.

lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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