“I thought, for the most part, we were okay. There was some decision-making where we didn’t move pucks quick enough and didn’t really establish much of a forecheck.
… We sometimes have some really good shifts in a row and then tend to get away from it, or penalties take us out of it. We have to find ways to stay out of the box without losing momentum and be more predictable [at 5v5].”
– John Gruden
After the debacle against Bridgeport (surrendering a pair of three-goal leads to a bottom-feeding opponent), this was another must-win game for the Toronto Marlies against a team all but eliminated from the playoffs.
The Utica Comets simply outworked Toronto for the vast majority of this game. What the Comets lack in offensive ability, they make up for in effort and a commitment to leaving everything out there on the ice.
The Marlies could not match the opponent’s work rate, and a parade to the penalty box only hindered them after they conceded another early goal.
First Period
Alex Steeves drew the first penalty with an extra effort to retain possession during a line change. The Marlies‘ power play was disconnected, and when they finally gained the zone, they allowed a shorthanded goal.
Alex Nylander fired a wild shot so wide of the target from the left circle that the puck rimmed around the boards to the right point. John Prokop attempted to keep the puck in the zone on his backhand but whiffed, resulting in a Utica breakaway. A tidy low finish from Max Willman beat Dennis Hildeby to give Utica a 1-0 lead on their first shot inside three minutes.
It was a catastrophic start that almost became worse two minutes later. A turnover handed Utica a 3v2 rush, which turned into a 4v2 by the time the Comets gained the offensive zone. A sharp double save from Hildeby on Dmitry Osipov denied Utica a two-goal lead.
The Swedish netminder continued to be alert when Toronto took consecutive penalties as the Comets took control of the opening frame without extending their advantage.
Undoubtedly, Utica deserved to score next and came extremely close with four minutes remaining. A stretch pass took three Toronto skaters out of play, but Willman struck the crossbar on his second breakaway of the period.
Second Period
Utica took another early penalty to begin the middle frame, but it didn’t matter. Toronto was listless with the extra attacker, but they were then gifted a 5-on-3 advantage for 40 seconds. There was little impetus on display, with only half-chances created for Logan Shaw and Alex Nylander.
The Marlies‘ inability to capitalize was compounded shortly afterward by a too-many-men penalty. Hildeby came to the rescue once again, producing a spectacular right-toe save to rob Jonathan Gruden.
At the midway point, Toronto scored against the run of play. It was comfortably their best shift of the game, as they cycled the puck in the offensive zone and generated a flurry of Grade-A scoring chances. After Alex Steeves was twice denied from close range, Logan Shaw scored on a one-time shot past Nico Daws on a feed from William Villeneuve.
Daws kept the game tied with a pair of saves to turn aside Luke Haymes and Nick Abruzzese, while Robert Mastrosimone produced a disappointing finishing attempt into the chest of Daws.
Third Period
The final frame of regulation was a turgid affair as Toronto couldn’t find the extra gear to grind down the hard-working Comets.
Shaw drew an early penalty to negate a carryover Utica power play. The captain’s work was undone by Cedric Paré, who took a hooking penalty after whiffing on a chance from the slot. It summed up Toronto’s performance.
Both teams had one chance inside the opening 70 seconds. Hildeby blanked Mike Hardman from close range while Jacob Quillan fired his effort into the crest of Utica’s netminder from the slot.
Hildeby remained steadfast, shutting down Shane Bowers and Xavier Parent on good looks to win the game for Utica.
The Marlies had one more opportunity to steal the two points: Joseph Blandisi attempted to score through the five-hole on a breakaway, but Daws shut the door.
Overtime
One shot, one goal. That’s all it took for Utica to claim the extra point.
Nylander sprung Quillan on a rush, but the pass was intercepted when the rookie attempted to return the favour. Utica hit back in transition with a 3v2. Most disappointingly, Nylander’s lack of backchecking effort made life easy for the Comets as Hardman scored the winning goal from the left circle. While I’m singling out Nylander for his effort on the game-losing play, there were too many passengers in regulation throughout the lineup.
Post Game Notes
– John Gruden made some debatable lineup choices, to no avail. The top line with Cedric Paré on it was a mess, except for the tying goal. Placing Ryan Reaves on the second line alongside Jacob Quillan and Alex Nylander wasn’t placing him in a position to succeed. He was a passenger for the most part. Reaves didn’t establish himself physically on the forecheck or by gaining position to create traffic in front.
– The only forward line to emerge with some credit was the smaller group of Nick Abruzzese, Luke Haymes, and Ryan Tverberg. I liked the energy of the latter two, and Abruzesse appeared to enjoy playing the veteran role in a new look for him.
“[Abruzzese – Haymes – Tverberg] are smaller guys, but I thought they were on the puck,” said Gruden. “They had some offensive-zone time. For the most part, they played well.”
– Playoff hockey begins this weekend for Toronto with a home-and-home against Syracuse. The Marlies are 2-2 against the Crunch this season and were shut out in both losses. Anything less than a split this weekend would jeopardize Toronto’s playoff hopes.
– Wednesday’s lineup:
Forwards
Paré – Shaw – Steeves
Reaves – Quillan – Nylander
Abruzzese – Haymes – Tverberg
Mastrosimone – Blandisi – Solow
Defensemen
Prokop – Mermis
Webber – Villeneuve
Rifai – Niemelä
Goaltenders
Hildeby
Murray
