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Belleville Bulls’ Malcolm Subban takes overtime loss to heart, but gives underdogs hope

Malcolm Subban knows that where he's headed, players with Tyler Toffoli's moves will be more than the rule than the exception.

So after the highly touted goaltender, looking to help his underdog Belleville Bulls at least split two road games vs. the Ottawa 67's, was bested on a breakaway in overtime for a game-winner, he kept a tight seal on his emotions. Toffoli's goal 2:02 into extra time that gave heavily favoured Ottawa a 3-2 win and 1-0 lead in the Ontario Hockey League first-round series came on the classic abrupt change peculiar to the post-season. A clearing attempt bounced near the Ottawa blueline and by the Bulls' Jake Worrad. That left the 100-point man Toffoli with a 100-foot breakaway, which he completed by sneaking the puck just between Subban's left foot and the goalpost.

Even though he was credited with 40 saves and helped the Bulls go to overtime despite having just 11 shots after the first period, Subban's self-assessment cut to the quick.

"I thought I played good overall, but I didn't get the win so it wasn't one of my better games," said the Rexdale, Ont., native, who could be the first goalie taken in June's NHL draft. "Sometimes you don't play your best game but you get the win, that's all that matters."

Ottawa, with talents up front such as NHL second-rounders Toffoli, Shane Prince and Dalton Smith and budding first-rounder Sean Monhan, has been a season-long nemesis for Subban. The 18-year-old had a 2.29 average and .929 save percentage in the regular season, but his rate stats (in a small sample size, albeit) were 4.47 and .854 vs. the 67's. So there was some solace to be taken from holding off the heavies.

"It was a great way to set the tone and show them that we mean business," Subban said. "It would have been nicer if we got the win."

There have probably been more momentous steps along the way in the education of a maturing goalie who many believe will be a stellar NHLer. The Bulls lost the game, but what probably matters for Subban is not losing the lesson and being in a good head space for Game 2 in less than 24 hours.

"It's probably forgotten about in his mind," Bulls coach-GM George Burnett said. "Malcom will be good tomorrow night and we'll be better in front of him. He's still a young guy, learning how to play. I would expect him to be good again tomorrow.

The Subban-Toffoli duel was nearly worth the price of admission for the small Thursday night crowd so sparse (4,284 announced) and quiet that children in the private boxes were trying to yell to get the attention of classmates they spotted in the stands far below.

The Los Angeles Kings prospect who had a league-leading 52 goals in the regular season opened the scoring in the first period. His one-timed shot was blocked by Bulls defenceman Adam Bignell as Subban went down into his butterfly. Before the netminder could reset, Toffoli had located the puck and gone backhand shelf for the goal.

In the second, Subban made 25 saves to keep the Bulls in a 2-2 tie heading to the third. (The Ottawa goal was a greasy second-whack-at-it salvo by Steven Janes.) He shot the left pad out on a breakaway to stop Toffoli early in the period. There was a flurry of saves that presaged a tying goal by Adam Payerl. Late in the second period, Subban also came out to the hash marks to make himself look gigantic to Ottawa's Taylor Fielding on a penalty shot (""It shows you're aggressive and trying to create a big presence," he said). All Fielding could do was try a flip shot, which haplessly glanced off Subban's shoulder and over the crossbar.

Yet those missed chances did get Toffoli thinking about what to do if he got another breakaway. Unfortunately for the Bulls, he got it.

"The first one, I thought I should have waited him out and gone to my backhand, because he was pretty far out," he said. "I told the coaches when Fields [Taylor Fielding] had the penalty shot for him to try it. In overtime, I had the idea of what I was doing and fortunately it went in."

It is rare to see someone pull the puck to his forehand in that scenario. For the right-handed Toffoli, it meant trying to get Subban on his catcher rather than blocker side. Somehow he pulled it off.

"I've seen him make nicer moves — I thought I actually had it — and I've made nicer saves," Subban said. "It was the last thing I expected to him to do. Full credit for him."

In the playoffs, of course, it's all about the win and the spoils going to the victors. There isn't a lot of room for empathy for those on the other side. But Toffoli relished the duel and the prospect of a reprise in 24 hours.

"Subban's really big and fast and really quick," he said. "He's definitely one of the best goalies out there. We got him in Game 1 and we just have to keep going."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.