“The process, the mindset, and our start tonight were really good. Overall, we were pushing the pace of how we wanted to play, but we still have to find a way to net one more.”
– Dakota Mermis
“I thought we played extremely well, especially in the first period. It was a good hockey game. Unfortunately, it turned into a skills competition at the end.”
– John Gruden
The Toronto Marlies are now in the fifth and final playoff spot in the North Division after getting swept by Syracuse in a home-and-home weekend. Toronto produced a much-improved performance and dominated the Crunch in the first period. However, an inability to find a third goal and a couple of avoidable goals against undid their improved effort.
First Period
As well as the Marlies played in the first 20 minutes, they were fortunate not to concede inside three minutes. Matt Murray turned aside Lucas Mercuri from the slot after a slot giveaway by Marshall Rifai.
After dodging a bullet, the Marlies struck first just before the five-minute mark. The top line delivered as Logan Shaw pounced on a rebound from Alex Nylander following a point shot from Rifai. The goal came about after a shift of relentless forechecking.
Toronto drew consecutive penalties, but the power play could not put Syracuse under sustained pressure.
The Marlies allowed the Crunch back into the game with eight minutes remaining in the frame. A shoddy line change that left the far side of the ice deserted led to Dylan Duke breaking in alone on Murray, who was easily solved with a forehand-backhand move.
Toronto had to withstand a minor spell of Syracuse pressure before reasserting dominance and finishing the period on top.
The Marlies retook the lead with 49 seconds remaining with a goal that should have lifted the bench. The third line came up trumps, hemming Syracuse in the defensive zone with another relentless forechecking effort.
Topi Niemelä’s point shot was directed wide by Ryan Reaves, but Matthew Barbolini was the first to retrieve possession below the goal line and, after faking to go around the net, sent a reverse pass to Reaves standing by the side of the net. To give Reaves’ credit, he showed the hands to corral the puck and score in one motion before Brandon Halverson could recover to his left.
Second Period
Syracuse tied the game two minutes into the middle frame. Daniel Walcott’s floated shot from the top of the right circle had no danger to it, but Murray allowed the puck to squirm through him. It was a dagger blow that killed all the momentum after an excellent first period and a late go-ahead goal.
The middle frame featured two Grade-A chances, both for the Crunch. Gabriel Szturc couldn’t bury past Murray from the slot, and the Marlies’ netminder redeemed himself with a good save on a Conor Sheary breakaway. Although the shots favoured Syracuse 13-3 in the second period, the teams were more evenly matched than the SOG statistic might indicate.
Third Period
Duke and Joel Teasdale had early chances turned away by Murray, and Toronto could and probably should have won the game in regulation afterward.
Under pressure on a partial breakaway, Jacob Quillan sent his shot wide of the net, with Halverson scrambling. William Villeneuve also missed the target from the slot after excellent work from Zach Solow and Robert Mastrosimone to generate the chance. The defenseman wasn’t alone, as Toronto created some good looks, but the final pass or shot was off the mark.
Overtime/Shootout
The extra frame was a disaster for Toronto. They touched the puck three times and gave possession away quickly and cheaply on each occasion.
Syracuse appeared to be the likelier team to score, and Sheary was robbed from the slot before the Crunch finished the extra frame on the power play. Rifai was irked by the call after Maxi Groshev appeared to run Murray, but his cross-check was blatant.
Toronto gave up only one more shot to Sheary and held on to force the shootout.
The skills competition went four rounds, with Szturc scoring the game-winner. Disappointingly, Toronto didn’t do enough to test Halverson, and the extra-time loss saw the Marlies slip to fifth place in the North Division (tied with Cleveland at 77 points but with one fewer game remaining).
Post Game Notes
– The forward lines showed some chemistry. Hopefully, John Gruden can stop tinkering game by game and give this iteration some run.
– The third line had a purpose and played with an attitude through the 60 minutes. Credit to Ryan Reaves for leading the line and Gruden for putting him in a position to succeed this time. The veteran scored his first AHL goal since December 2010 when suiting up for the Peoria Rivermen.
– Alex Nylander was involved in the opening goal but was still too much of a peripheral player in this game. If it keeps up much longer, I’d be interested in seeing him shift down the lineup into softer matchups to see if it sparks him to life.
– Since returning from injury, Cade Webber has added some solidity to the Toronto blue line. His shot blocking on the penalty kill was a key reason why the Marlies went a perfect 3-for-3.
– Logan Shaw is heating up when his team needs him. The captain has scored three goals in four games, but unfortunately, those around him have gone stone cold offensively.
– What can you say about Matt Murray? Frustrating doesn’t quite cut it. He made some key saves, but letting in a muffin at that stage of the game really hurt his team.
– Saturday’s lineup:
Forwards
Abruzzese – Shaw – Nylander
Mastrosimone – Quillan – Steeves
Barbolini – Paré – Reaves
Hirvonen – Haymes – Solow
Defensemen
Mermis – Benning
Rifai – Villeneuve
Webber – Niemelä
Goaltenders
Murray
Akhtyamov
