OKC Barons find their ‘swagger' in 3-1 win over Toronto Marlies

Swagger.

“We're finding out that the guys have a swagger about them,” Nelson said following his team's 3-1 win over Toronto on Tuesday afternoon.

“I call swagger a situation where it doesn't matter what the score is, you know you can win that game. That's what they're finding out. And when you play with a swagger, it's not cockiness, it's that inner-confidence that you know that you can come back on a team or you can hold that 1-0 lead or 2-0 lead.”

Before 4,411 fans, many of them shrieking children in attendance during the annual “Field Trip” matinee, the Barons (9-2-0-1) displayed their growing penchant for pulling out wins in comeback fashion.

After falling behind 1-0 in the second period, the Barons quickly snapped out of an early funk that was marred by sloppy play. Following a goal on a slap shot from the point by Marlies defenseman Simon Gysbers at 14:32 of the second period, the Barons answered with the equalizer 4 minutes, 13 seconds later. Teemu Hartikainen punched it in from in front of the net after getting assisted by Linus Omark and Ryan Lowery. The game-tying goal came right at the end of a power play, as a Marlies player was returning from the penalty box.

“Whenever you're down by a goal, you have to respond,” said goalie Yann Dannis. “Because the next thing you know they score another one and you've built yourself a hole. So it definitely woke us up.”