Steeves is seventh in AHL scoring with eight goals and six assists in 12 games this season.
Steeves is seventh in AHL scoring with eight goals and six assists in 12 games this season.
William Nylander may have a point streak with the Maple Leafs, but Alex Steeves is on a similar run with the Marlies.
The 23-year-old has a nine-game point streak — the longest current streak in the AHL. Steeves has found the back of the net eight times during these nine games and has four assists during this streak.
He's on a different level at the moment with his game, and it's something I haven't consistently seen since his first AHL season. What's most surprising is that this streak is coming while players like Nick Robertson and Bobby McMann are getting called up to the Maple Leafs.
This is a positive because Steeves admitted he struggled last season with players getting called up ahead of him even though he was playing well. But there was a switch late last year which saw him become more present, not getting caught up in what he cannot control.
"I'd say the two guys that really impacted me in a positive way were Adam Gaudette and Kyle Clifford," Steeves said this past summer. "From [Gaudette] I just learned, he had so many reasons to be down and he was so happy to be on the Marlies and playing with our group every single day, and to me, that's just something that I'll always remember...
"Those two guys in particular, I think, seeing the way they conducted themselves, I'll remember that moving forward."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrS-7-HOoqA[/embed]
Steeves is playing a type of game right now where it feels like he's found the sweet spot. The 23-year-old understands his identity, he's putting up points at a consistent rate, and he's doing what he does best — finding the back of the net.
The same goes for several other players on the Marlies, whether they're prospects or AHL regulars.
Kieffer Bellows, who signed a PTO with Toronto, has points (four goals, three assists) in all five games he's appeared in, Nick Abruzzese is on a four-game point streak (two goals, six assists), and Joseph Blandisi is on a three-game point streak (two goals, one assist).
It's worth mentioning, too, that Dmitry Ovchinnikov had a great weekend in Grand Rapids. The 21-year-old scored a hat trick on Friday while on Toronto's fourth line, which catapulted him up to the Marlies' second line Saturday where he had a goal and an assist. Ovchinnikov has five points in his last two games.
Toronto is playing like a team and are becoming more consistent, which is allowing for the success of all the players in the lineup.
One of the most impressive feats this season (although it's still early) has come from Maple Leafs goaltending prospect Dennis Hildeby. The six-foot-seven netminder came over from Sweden late last season and played two games where he allowed eight goals.
But his start this year has been quite impressive. Hildeby has shut out his opponents in back-to-back games, a new Marlies record for a rookie goaltender.
The 22-year-old also leads the AHL in both goals-against average (1.26) and save percentage (.950) through four games. It's a remarkable start and a promising development for an organization that's struggled to produce starting goaltenders.
Hildeby's size is one of the areas that makes him such a strong goaltender. At six-foot-seven, he covers most of the net, standing up or on his knees. The 22-year-old has great positioning, too, meaning he doesn't have to move in the crease as much.
However, when Hildeby does need to get over and make a save, he uses his long body to stretch and make the stop. He's very calm in the net, not stressing too much about allowing a goal, and just worrying about the next save.
While it's nice to see players like McMann and Robertson having success with the Maple Leafs, it's also impressive to see the Marlies doing just as well, whether it's veterans or prospects.
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