“I really liked our second period. I thought we came out and played more to our identity of playing on our toes and made it difficult for them to exit their zone.”
– John Gruden
Despite icing a lineup with only four new faces, the Marlies played as if they were strangers at times in their season opener. This was especially true in the first period when the Marlies were fortunate that San Diego didn’t take further advantage of their dominance over the run of play.
First Period
It took San Diego 65 seconds to break the deadlock in what was a wake-up call for Nicolas Mattinen.
The former 2016 draft selection for the Leafs just about kept pace with Nikita Nesterenko’s surge down the right wing, but he allowed the Gulls forward to easily cut inside him. Matt Murray got a piece of the resulting wrist shot, but the puck snuck through him and across the goal line in slow motion.
There was little in the way of pushback to the early setback throughout the entire period as Toronto found itself second best in every facet.
Logan Shaw had a shot deflected high from the high slot on a good look, while Topi Niemelä drew a good save from Oscar Dansk after strong work from the captain down low to retrieve possession.
Toronto killed the only penalty of the frame and headed to the intermission, thankful to have been down by only one.
Second Period
After a sloppy few shifts in the middle frame, Toronto got down to business and took control of the game.
Ryan Tverberg set the tone with a great play in the neutral zone, taking a huge hit to send Robert Mastrosimone away on the right wing. The sophomore forward saw his shot gobbled up by Dansk, but the intent to drive the net was the correct play.
Alex Nylander failed to test Dansk after an excellent puck recovery from Nick Abruzzese down low as that line searched for some early chemistry.
A fantastic shift by Grebenkin ended in a chance for Ryan Tverberg, but the forward was denied in tight. In a bizarrely officiated game, Tverberg was called for a tripping infraction on the same play, handing San Diego a second power play.
Toronto’s penalty kill once more was equal to the test, resulting in a tying goal. As Tverberg exited the box, he was able to collect what was either a clearance or an incredibly well-weighted stretch pass. Dansk turned aside Tverberg and Solow on the follow-up, but he could not stop Jacob Quillan from scoring his first professional goal.
The Marlies repeated the trick with a little over five minutes remaining. This time, Marshall Rifai exited the box on a breakaway thanks to a feed from Alex Nylander and sniped top-shelf past Dansk.
Toronto completed the second-period special teams domination by netting at their first attempt on the power play. Shaw’s one-timer from the left circle was more about placement than power, and a double deflection with the last touch off Roni Hirvonen gave the Marlies a 3-1 lead through 40 minutes.
Third Period
Last season’s inability to hold a multi-goal lead reared its ugly head in the final frame.
Abruzzese’s failure to clear the zone allowed Pavol Regenda to strip the puck before Carson Meyer slotted home seconds later to draw San Diego within one inside the opening minute.
The Marlies continued to play a little too loose in the first five minutes and were fortunate not to give up a tying marker. Once John Gruden settled down his troops, they rarely looked in danger, giving up just two shots in 13 minutes.
With 5:15 remaining, San Diego took advantage of some lax defending to tie the game at 3-3. Abruzzese was the guilty party again, allowing Harkins to spin by him at the top of the right circle before the Gulls forward drove toward the middle of the ice. His pinpoint shot weaved its way through traffic and past an unsighted Murray.
Toronto almost hit back immediately. Tverberg led a 2v1 break, but he didn’t know whether to stick or twist, and his eventual attempted pass to Grebenkin was deflected away.
The Marlies’ ability to quickly transition defense into attack in this game led to the game-winner.
Tommy Miller floated a clearance over the blue line and into the neutral zone, where Nylander won the ensuing battle with a Gulls player but didn’t end up with a point on the play. Regardless of that fact — and never gaining control of the puck — his extra effort sprung a 2-on-1 led by Shaw. The captain delivered an inch-perfect pass to Abruzzese on his left, where the winger made amends with an emphatic finish.
Murray came up with a big save to turn away a one-time effort from Harkins with 28 seconds remaining to seal a hard-fought season-opening victory.
Post Game Notes
– Toronto went 1/1 on the power play and 3/3 on the penalty kill. The special teams were the difference, especially since two of their goals were scored on the back of kills.
– It wasn’t the busiest game for Matt Murray (18 saves), who will feel he should have done better on the first two goals as both snuck through him.
– The Nick Abruzzese – Logan Shaw – Alex Nylander line showed some flashes of chemistry, but it feels like a work in progress. Nylander looked a little tentative at times, but his effort on the game-winner should provide a shot of confidence.
“I think Abruzzese-Shaw-Nylander are only going to get stronger as the game goes on,” said Gruden. “For them to score in the last two minutes was huge. Their game will grow as they get more comfortable with each other and where they expect each other to be. That takes time. I expect they will continue to grow as a line as we move forward.”
– The defensive side of Abruzzese’s game continues to hold him back. This game perfectly encapsulates his career to date: some flashes of brilliance offensively — and the game-winning goal — but with a few brain farts on the other side of the puck.
“Abruzzese would probably want a few shifts back earlier in the third period, and I am just glad he responded the way he did with scoring the game-winner,” said John Gruden. “Proud of him for that.”
– Nikita Grebenkin made a strong impression in his debut for all the right reasons. His head is always up looking for the high-percentage play, and he found connection points with Ryan Tverberg. The physical side of the game in the AHL didn’t seem to faze him, and he bounced straight back up from a couple of hits. This was a solid performance from the young man. Excited to see more.
“[Grebenkin] got better as the game went on,” said Gruden. “It is a different game for him. He had some preseason looks, but this is a good league. I think he maybe thought he’d have more time and space, but I liked the way he started to move his feet a little more. His decisions were much cleaner with the puck as the game went on.”
– I wasn’t sure Jacob Quillan would receive much of an opportunity this weekend, but I’m glad he did. He centered the fourth line and did an outstanding job. He’s taken a step forward after what appears to have been a productive off-season for him. He won several battles through greater footspeed and was direct in his approach offensively. Robert Mastrosimone and Zach Solow were perfect complements for Quillan on what could turn out to be a very effective fourth line.
“Mastrosimone – Quillan – Solow had a lot to do with getting us going in the second period,” said Gruden.
– The Cade Webber – Topi Niemelä partnership excelled defensively, and I was incredibly impressed by how the Finnish blue liner helped his less experienced teammate along in his professional debut. Tommy Miller continues to be a mystery to me regarding why he receives opportunities at this level, but Marshall Rifai was a rock next to him. Nicolas Mattinen struggled in his debut as the weakest line on the blue line.
– Saturday’s lineup:
Forwards
Abruzzese – Shaw – Nylander
Hirvonen – Blandisi – Steeves
Grebenkin – Paré – Tverberg
Mastrosimone – Quillan – Solow
Defensemen
Rifai – Miller
Kokkonen – Mattinen
Webber – Niemelä
Goalies
Murray
Akhtyamov
