TORONTO – In a rare Tuesday morning game, the Albany Devils couldn’t solve the Toronto Marlies in a 4-0 loss at Ricoh Coliseum. Toronto’s Antoine Bibeau earned his first shutout of the season, turning away 24 shots, and Tobias Lindberg netted a pair of goals.
The game was a heavy-weight bout between the two top teams in the AHL. Toronto improved to a league-best 43-10-4-0. The Devils, who entered the game with the second-highest point percentage, had their eight-game point streak snapped. The game marked the team’s first regulation loss since Feb. 9 against Providence. Albany moved to 33-14-8-0.
The Marlies established their lead during the opening minutes when Frederik Gauthier scored on a turnaround shot from the slot at 2:33. Less than two minutes later Lindberg scored on an odd-man rush at 4:15.
He added to Toronto’s advantage in the second period, picking the upper-right corner with a slap shot at 9:09.
In the third, Mark Arcobello netted the Marlies’ league-leading 12th shorthanded goal, converting on a breakaway at 10:04.
Yann Danis saw his franchise-record eight-game winning come to an end. He made 19 saves.
Mike Sislo’s 10-game point streak was also halted. The run tied a franchise record established by Michael Swift between Dec. 11 and Jan. 7 during the 2010-11 season. Sislo had nine goals and seven helpers during his run.
• The Essentials
Shots: Albany 24, Toronto 23
Power Play: Albany 0-6, Toronto 0-3
Three Stars: 1. Antoine Bibeau (TOR), 2. Tobias Lindberg (TOR), 3. Frederik Gauthier (TOR)
• Next Up
Albany’s road trip continues with a pair of games at St. John’s Friday and Saturday at 6 pm. Fans can follow the action online at ahllive.com or over the airwaves at 104.5 “The Team” ESPN Radio.
