Amateur goalie helps upset Canucks AHL team in surprise start

Toronto Marlies-Twitter/Abbotsford Canucks-Flickr

A Toronto hockey team was finally on the right side of an emergency goalie situation Tuesday.

And the Abbotsford Canucks were on the wrong end.

The Toronto Marlies — the American Hockey League affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs — upended the minor-league Canucks 5-3 on Tuesday thanks in part to an EBUG goaltending tandem featuring Trinity Western University goalie Talor Joseph.

“I feel like it’s a little bit easier to make plays because they’re doing such a good job up here,” Joseph told the Marlies website.

“I find it a little easier with the structure of it and being able to read plays but obviously the guys can shoot the puck really well and if they catch it, they’re going to catch it. Those guys made my life easy tonight, so I was very happy.”

Fellow emergency goalie and former Prince George Cougars goalie Tavin Grant backed up Joseph in the win, with injuries and call-ups hitting the Toronto club.

1st career AHL start
1st career AHL win

A MASSIVE shoutout to Talor Joseph on his first Pro W 👏👏👏 #MarliesLive pic.twitter.com/wISsZgMgej

— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) March 30, 2022

Joseph stopped 34 of 37 shots en route to his first professional victory.

Spencer Martin took the loss, stopping 20 of 24 shots.

“I didn’t even what to talk our players about that because that’s not something I want in their heads at all,” Canucks head coach Trent Cull said, according to the team’s website. “I know what they’re talking about it. I figured… you know what I mean? But that’s not something I want in their heads at all.

“For us, it’s status quo… it’s the normal job. I didn’t what that to be an issue. I thought it wasn’t at the start of the game. I didn’t like where we kind of went from there.”

Joseph has a 5.86 goals-against average and .876 save percentage with Trinity Western this season.

He actually served as an emergency back-up when COVID-19 rolled through the Canucks organization earlier in the season, serving as Abbotsford’s second goalie in a 4-2 win against the San Diego Gulls on January 23.

“There’s always nerves and butterflies, especially in a situation like this but you just really have got to stay in the moment and appreciate the opportunity,” Joseph said. “This doesn’t come around every day and it’s really a blessing that it happened to me. I’m very fortunate. I’m thankful.”

Joseph was also credited with an assist on Alex Steeves’ empty net goal with 1:10 remaining in the game, helping earn his first point in pro hockey.

“They were all just really grateful for how hard he competed, how hard he played, and he gave us a chance to win the game,” Marlies coach Greg Moore said, according to the team.

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