GTHL Game Review – Toronto Red Wings 1:4 Markham Majors – AAA Bantam 05’

26-Oct-2019 Saturday 06:30 PM Chesswood 1
The GTHL was back in action as the Toronto Red Wings clashed with the Markham Majors at the Chesswood 1.
The Red Wings headed into this game after a 5-6 win in the game against the Flyers. And on the other side, the Majors won 4-1 in the game against the Titans.

Markham Majors Review
The Majors started this game with clear tactical discipline and balanced gameplan. Moreover, they won most of the power plays in the early minutes of the game. That had a galvanizing effect on their game as they opened the score in the 4th minute after a power play. Brandon Scott made a swift transitional run through the right side and scored a great goal from an angle. Also, the Maleek McGowan had a commanding presence in defence and kept the Red Wings at bay. The Majors doubled their lead in the 6th minute through another counter-attack. This time, it was defenceman Joseph Macchione that stole the puck and scored through a well placed powerful shot.
The Majors ended the first period of the game with 5 shots on target.

In the 2nd period of the game, the Majors were surprised as the Red Wings took the initiative. The team was under constant pressure and they were losing the power plays. Also, their defence had to dig deep in order to preserve the lead. However, they adopt an interesting tactical approach that was focused on disrupting the Red Wings build-up play. That strategy seemed successful right up to the 14th minute of the 2nd period when the Red Wings scored to make it 1-2.

The final period of the game was the best part of the game. Both teams fought hard. However, the Majors stepped up and managed to score in the 4th minute. Defencemen Robert Palermo took possession of the puck and through and came one on one with the opposing goaltender. The young defenceman kept his composure and scored to make it 3-1. After the goal, the Majors were in full control and scored another goal in the 6th minute of the 3rd period. This time it was forward Akimov that was clinical in front of goal. The goal sealed a 4-1 win for the Majors.

Toronto Red Wings Review
The Red Wings suffered an unlucky defeat in their latest GTHL game against the Flyers. However, they were eager to bounce back in this encounter against the Majors. But their start was not at the needed level as they conceded early in the game. On a positive note, Kirk looked solid and brought calmness in the defensive game of the Toronto side.
However, they were not able to take control of the game and they conceded another goal in the 6th minute of the game.

In the 2nd period, the Red Wings stepped up their game. They were better on the power plays and took control of the biscuit. However, they were not able to materialize their efforts until the 14th minute of the game. It was Cooksey that scored a goal through a counter-attack to make it 1-2. The Red Wings were back in the game.

In the final period of the game, there was a real battle. Both teams started to play with more determination and aggression. However, the Red Wings were not able to maintain the pace from the 2nd period of the game. Therefore, they conceded 2 goals and lost the game 4-1

Final Thought
Overall, both teams played well in this game. But the Majors were clinical upfront. They took their chances and that is why the won the game. The Red Wings showed that they have quality and showed a great character. However, the Toronto based team was not clinical enough and their defence was not consistent throughout the game.