The Toronto Marlies made Saturday night in Belleville feel like a game that could swing any direction and then swung it back their way anyway.
After a rough opening and a back-and-forth first period that featured nine total goals across the game, Toronto settled in, controlled plenty of the five-on-five play, and came away with a 5-4 overtime win. The result pushed the Marlies’ winning streak to four as they kept riding a strong early-season run.
Belleville struck first, and the Marlies helped make life easy for the Senators. Oskar Pettersson opened the scoring after he stripped Noah Chadwick inside the blue line and finished low from the right circle. Not long after, Toronto got caught with too many players above the puck again, and Ryan Suzuki converted a 2-on-1 off a pass from Sammy Blais.
Toronto answered quickly. After a Belleville turnover in the Marlies’ zone, Philippe Myers sent a stretch pass that created a 2-on-0, and Henrik Rybinski finished the play with a backhand feed from Luke Haymes. The opening period also featured Toronto killing off a hooking penalty to Michael Pezzetta, with Samuel Hlavaj standing out on the penalty kill by stopping Eskild Bakke Olsen, Tyler Boucher, and Jorian Donovan.
The Marlies’ best work in the first period came late, and it paid off. With 2:34 left, Miroslav Holinka chased down a dump-in, protected the puck along the boards, and helped spring Marc Johnstone. The sequence ended with Holinka finding space in the right circle and snapping home his first professional goal from one knee.
The second period stayed chaotic. Hlavaj came up with a big save on Phil Tomasino early after Ben Danford was penalized, and Johnstone nearly set up another goal on a 2-on-1 when Pezzetta missed the net from close range. Toronto briefly thought it had taken the lead when Haymes buried a rebound, but a coach’s challenge erased the goal for offside.
The next shift brought the go-ahead marker anyway. Djibril Touré slipped a no-look pass from behind the Belleville net to Aatu Räty, who set up Vinni Lettieri in the slot for Toronto’s third goal. The Marlies had more chances to extend the lead, but the Senators responded on the power play when Eskild Bakke Olsen scored his first AHL goal to tie it at 3-3.
Toronto regained the lead in the third period after Hlavaj stopped Tomasino early and the Marlies struck three minutes later. Off an offensive-zone draw, Brendan Brisson found room in the left circle, and his shot deflected off Logan Shaw and in.
That edge did not last. Toronto let Belleville sustain a long cycle, and Kasper Halttunen was left alone in the slot after Dakota Mermis lost him in front. Halttunen’s fifth goal of the season tied it again at 4-4.
Neither side managed much clean offense in the closing minutes, and the game settled into overtime after a stretch with just three shots over the final eight minutes of regulation. Haymes and Matthew Andonovski dropped the gloves after a hit on Rybinski, with Haymes getting the takedown despite giving up size.
Overtime nearly went the wrong way for Toronto when Hlavaj mishandled a weak shot and handed Belleville a two-on-zero, but the goalie recovered with a strong save on Tomasino’s backhand attempt. That opened the door for the winner at the other end. Danford carried the puck over the blue line, Shaw drove across the zone, and Brisson ripped home the game-winner after the captain put it in the perfect spot.
Holinka’s first AHL goal was one of the night’s brightest individual moments. He worked hard on the boards and helped drive play on his line with Marc Johnstone.
Räty also made a strong first impression, even if his finish didn’t match the chances he created. He was the most noticeable player on the third line.
Brisson kept his hot start rolling with his third game-winning goal. He now has nine points, including six goals and three assists, in five games.
Hayes Hundley also drew praise in his season debut and second professional game. The defenseman brought physicality, handled Belleville’s style well, looked steady with the puck, and made the right plays offensively when the chance was there.
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