“We’re still defending well, but it just seems like we’re having a tough time getting inside. We tried to throw more pucks at the net and create second and third chances, but that’s two games in a row where it hasn’t happened for us [offensively].”
– John Gruden
This 3-1 loss to Cleveland on Saturday was almost a carbon copy of the Toronto Marlies‘ shutout defeat to Syracuse in the previous game. The Marlies didn’t create enough offensive pressure in the critical areas, giving Monsters goaltender Jet Greaves an easy time between the pipes.
First Period
Despite three power plays, including nine seconds of a two-man advantage, Toronto registered a paltry six shots in the opening frame. The power play was slow and predictable, and Cleveland’s PK was never put under serious pressure.
Toronto’s best scoring chance of the game arrived at the five-minute mark. Logan Shaw and Nikita Grebenkin combined to tee up Nick Abruzzese at the far post, but the latter had his stick ripped from his hands seconds earlier, and the chance passed without a penalty call.
60 seconds later, Cleveland opened the scoring after catching the Marlies in transition. A weak shot-come-pass by Stanislav Svozil into the slot was deflected past Artur Akhtyamov off the skates of Matt Benning.
Second Period
Cleveland dominated the first four minutes of the middle frame and could easily have doubled their lead. Akhtyamov pulled off nice saves to deny Rocco Grimaldi and Luca Del Bel Belluz to keep Toronto within one goal.
The next two minutes summed up the Marlies‘ performance.
A point shot by Benning produced a huge rebound, which no Toronto player got anywhere near. The clearance fell to Mikko Kokkonen, who couldn’t beat Jet Greaves despite the netminder losing his stick and falling backward.
Marshall Rifai struck the outside of the post from the restart of play, but it was a one-and-done effort. After a fleeting moment of offensive pressure, Toronto broke down defensively.
Dyland Gambrell was left wide open in the slot, forcing Akhtyamov to make his best save of the game.
The Marlies then proceeded to waste their best 5v5 chance of the period. Alex Nylander, Fraser Minten, and Alex Steeves were guilty of overplaying a 3v2 break, as no shot was recorded.
Toronto created an even better scoring chance on Cleveland’s first power play. In a 2v1 situation, Shaw was initially denied, but the rebound fell kindly for Steeves. The latter drove across the crease but couldn’t elevate his backhand effort.
A rare defensive mistake by the Monsters resulted in Nylander grabbing possession with time above the hash marks. Normally so prolific in such situations, Nylander’s low shot was easily dealt with.
The Monsters then doubled their lead inside the last two minutes. Owen Sillinger’s lofted pass created a 1v1 at the red line, and Mikko Kokkonen made an unsuccessful stab at the puck instead of backing off. Gavin Brindley beat Kokkonen and then embarrassed Akhtyamov with a top-shelf finish after the netminder also attempted a poke-check.
Corson Ceulemans and Grimaldi had chances to increase the lead as the Monsters dominated the remainder of the second period and were gifted a power play.
The Marlies did create another shorthanded chance, breaking with a 3v1 advantage. Minten’s rising shot could not beat Greaves or provide a rebound for a teammate as another opportunity was frittered away by the Marlies.
Third Period
Daemon Hunt and Joseph Labate should have put the game to bed with consecutive chances after Toronto was caught cheating for offense. Akhtyamov pulled off a sharp double save, and the goaltender had to be equally brilliant on the penalty kill at the midway point.
Cleveland generated three high-danger scoring chances but hit the target only twice, as Akhtyamov rejected Gambrell on each occasion. Toronto generated another quality short-handed scoring chance, but Steeves’ shot on a partial breakaway was easily dealt with.
It looked for all money that the Marlies were going to suffer the ignominy of consecutive shutouts until a power-play tally with 59 seconds remaining. With Akhtyamov pulled for the extra attacker, Nylander blitzed a shot into the far corner of the net from the left circle.
There was no heroic comeback on this occasion, and Gambrell rubbed salt into the wound with an empty-net goal in the final second.
Post Game Notes
– Toronto is now 0-3-1 against Cleveland this season.
– John Gruden attempted to spark offense by mixing up the line combinations to little effect. Nikita Grebenkin showed a little more jump in his game alongside Logan Shaw and Nick Abruzzese, and it was surprising to see the line split so quickly.
“We try to give guys opportunities, and you don’t know until you see it,” said Gruden. “We have been juggling a little bit, but at the end of the day, we’ve had a really good line with Steeves, Abruzzese and Shaw. We just went back to it. We needed a spark. We hadn’t scored in five periods, so we had to change something up.”
– The Toronto Marlies announced on Sunday that they’ve traded defenseman Matteo Pietroniro to the Rockford Ice Hogs in exchange for future considerations.
– Saturday’s lineup:
Forwards
Grebenkin – Shaw – Abruzzese
Nylander – Minten – Steeves
Clifford – Blandisi – Tverberg
Barbolini – Quillan – Solow
Defensmen
Kokkonen – Benning
Rifai – Villeneuve
Webber – Miller
Goaltenders
Akhtyamov
Murray