“We didn’t have a very good start. We got a little bit better in the second and didn’t give them [Cleveland] much in the third [period], but we didn’t do enough to win the game.”
– John Gruden
As good as the Toronto Marlies have started the 2024-25 campaign, this game was a stark wake-up call and a flashback to last season when Cleveland won all eight meetings against them. With this victory, the home team has won the last 12 meetings between the sides. The Marlies haven’t tasted victory against Cleveland since November 25, 2022.
First Period
Toronto didn’t just stumble out of the blocks but fell backward in a heap. The Marlies were chasing shadows in the opening shifts, so it was no surprise when Cleveland struck after three minutes.
After several fluffed attempts to clear the defensive zone, the Monsters pounced. Cameron Butler was open in the left circle as a seam opened up through the middle of the slot, allowing Butler to rip home a one-time shot on a feed from Jake Gaudet.
Toronto compounded the bad start by taking two quick penalties. With Alex Steeves in the box for roughing and Connor Dewar for tripping, the Marlies faced a 5-on-3 for 93 seconds. The penalty kill refused to surrender their unbeaten status, conceding just two shots as Toronto avoided further damage on the scoreboard.
As the final penalty expired, Roni Hirvonen broke up a Cleveland zone entry at the Marlies‘ blue line, and the loose puck fell kindly for Dewar to collect as he exited the box. The Manitoba native made no mistake on the breakaway, finding the net with a backhand move on Toronto’s first shot of the game.
The Marlies remained second best after tying the game, as Matt Murray was called on to make 12 saves in the frame, almost half of which came from high-danger areas.
Toronto created just one chance on their first power play; Nick Arbuzzesse couldn’t beat Jet Greaves with a wrist shot from the high slot.
Second Period
The Marlies were a far different team in the middle frame, creating some high-quality scoring chances. They did rely on Murray to keep the door shut at the other end as the veteran netminder denied seven Grade-A scoring chances for the Monsters.
The go-ahead goal arrived thanks to Nikita Grebenkin. The rookie forward split the defense with a withering surge and was stopped, but the rebound resulted in an almighty melee in the blue paint, with every Cleveland defender sprawled out. After sticking with the play and coming close with a second attempt, Grebenkin recovered possession and showed the poise to find Marshall Rifai with space to measure a shot. The defenseman picked his spot through the carnage in the crease to give Toronto a 2-1 lead.
After Toronto took the lead, Braden Kressler fell short of opening his professional account with two misses. Cade Webber and Jani Hakanpää both had good looks, while Abruzzese and Steeves should have done better with shots from below the dots.
Poor game management contributed to many of Toronto’s losses to Cleveland last season, and the same tendency reared its ugly head with 23 seconds remaining in the middle frame. It should’ve been an easy situation for the Marlies to sort out with a 4v3 numbers advantage, but the goal scorer slipped inside of Nick Abruzzese’s backcheck to finish from the slot.
Third Period
Toronto threw any chance of taking points from the game with an abysmal third-period showing. The Marlies recorded just two shots through 17 minutes, one of which was a dump-in from the red line.
Nikita Grebenkin and Cade Webber had the best two scoring chances from the slot, but neither could provide a finishing touch at the critical time.
Cleveland easily killed off the only penalty of the frame despite Toronto spending almost the entire two minutes in the offensive zone.
The winning goal arrived with eight minutes remaining. Toronto lost a battle along the end boards but regained possession, only for William Villeneuve to turn it over to Max McCue on the right wing. Seemingly caught by surprise, Matty Murray would have been disappointed to be beaten by the low shot from the right circle.
Only when Murray was pulled in the final three minutes did Toronto threaten to tie the game. The Marlies camped in the Cleveland zone and swarmed the net to no avail. Alex Nylander couldn’t bury one of a handful of grade-A scoring chances as Greaves was afforded a relatively easy time between the pipes despite sustained pressure.
To add salt to the wound, former Marlie Dylan Gambrell netted the insurance marker to secure a 4-2 win for Cleveland.
Post Game Notes
– Toronto’s first regulation defeat of the season broke a seven-game point streak (6-0-1).
– The penalty kill remained perfect (now 28/28) thanks to a 5-on-3 kill early in the game.
– A two-point haul (1G/1A) for Connor Dewar slightly flattered his offensive performance. It was a solid first outing of the season for Dewar — positionally and defensively sound, including some PK reps (albeit he took a penalty shorthanded), while his linemates largely drove the play offensively.
– Playing on a pairing with Rifai, Jani Hakanpää played a solid and mistake-free game defensively and even made a couple of plays offensively when joining the rush. Considering the extent of his injury and rehab, it was a positive return to professional game action.
“Hakanpaa is so simple as a defenseman — plays in straight lines, and he has been a really good defenseman at the NHL level,” said Gruden. “For him to get his timing back, I thought he and Rifai played well.”
– Nikita Grebenkin continues to impress me, even in games where Toronto struggles to create offense. Unlike other forwards on the team, he’s not a perimeter player; his first instinct is to drive the net. Alongside Ryan Tverberg, Grebenkin drove the play on the line featuring Dewar. The second goal was a perfect example of what Grebenkin does well in this regard.
– Injury update: Cedric Paré (lower body, week-to-week) and Nicolas Mattinen (lower body, day-to-day) were unavailable for selection.
– Lastly, my apologies for the lateness of this game recap. Life has gotten in the way the last few days, but I should be back on track next weekend.
– Saturday’s lineup:
Forwards
Abruzzese – Shaw – Nylander
Hirvonen – Quillan – Steeves
Grebenkin – Dewar – Tverberg
Blandisi – Stevens – Kressler
Defense
Rifai – Hakanpää
Webber – Villeneuve
Bengtsson – Niemelä
Goaltenders
Murray
Akhtyamov
