“In the first 10 minutes, again, we didn’t match their intensity… We can make excuses all we want — having younger defenseman in there and so forth — but I don’t think they were the issue. I just didn’t think we matched their intensity or were ready to go at the start. You can’t spot a really good team, on their home ice, a 2-0 lead, and expect to come back from it all the time. It has to be addressed.”
– John Gruden
The Toronto Marlies‘ inability to start on time is a trend that is troubling head coach John Gruden. By the time the Marlies gained some traction in this game in Grand Rapids, they were chasing their tails against an opposition yet to lose in regulation this season.
First Period
The tone was set 70 seconds in when Bo Groulx turned over possession in the defensive zone, forcing Vyacheslav Peksa into a brilliant save on John Loenard on the doorstep.
Chas Sharpe, starting to find his feet at the AHL level, made a good read to break up an odd-man rush at the four-minute mark.
Grand Rapids’ intensity overwhelmed Toronto less than 60 seconds later. Leonard saw his shot from the hashmarks blocked, and from the same position, Amadeus Lombardi rang a shot off the post before Peksa got a hold of the puck. Tyler Angle won the ensuing faceoff, and Eduards Tralmaks sniped home from just above the hashmarks.
Peksa wasn’t flustered by the early goal against, making solid saves on Carson Bantle and Leonard from the slot.
Opportunities for Toronto were few and far between, but the Marlies could have gotten on the board if they were more clinical. Logan Shaw misplayed a 3v2 situation on a rare odd-man rush for the Marlies. With three minutes remaining, Cade Webber shot wide by design, and the puck bounced off the back wall and out the other side to Groulx. On the doorstep, with Carter Gylander on the move, the veteran forward couldn’t bury the best chance of the period for Toronto.
The Griffins doubled their lead almost a minute later. Sheldon Dries won an offensive-zone faceoff back to defenseman Ian Mitchell, whose point shot took a wicked redirect off a Marlies skate and wrong-footed Peksa.
Second Period
After Peksa robbed Domink Shine inside two minutes, Toronto generated three Grade-A scoring chances. The difference between earning something from this game and leaving empty-handed was the Marlies’ lack of finish in key moments. Groulx didn’t bury two chances, while Alex Nylander seemed to rush his shot from the heart of the slot, allowing Gylander to make a fairly comfortable save.
Peksa deserved a better fate as he continued to keep his team in the game. He robbed Bantle before the same player struck the crossbar with a rebound effort, and the Russian netminder also made big stops on Angle and Dries.
Third Period
The Marlies began the third period on the PK, but within seconds of returning to full strength, they conceded a third goal. Under intense pressure, the Marlies collapsed toward their own net, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård scored from the left circle with a shot through traffic.
The Marlies responded with a goal in transition, giving them a slight foothold in the game. John Prokop delivered a hit on Lombardi, knocking him off-balance, and proceeded to intercept an intended pass. The rookie defenseman carried the puck across both blue lines before dishing off to his left. Ryan Tverberg used a Griffins’ player as a screen and scored far post from the top of the left circle.
There was plenty of time left to mount an unlikely comeback, but Toronto recorded just two shots in the following 10 minutes.
Lombardi struck to restore the Griffins’ three-goal advantage, although the Marlies, to their credit, didn’t give up. An excellent shift from the fourth line resulted in Marc Johnstone scoring from close range as Gylander battled traffic around his crease.
Gruden opted for the extra attack with 3:30 left on the clock, and the game ended 30 seconds later. Leonard’s empty-netter secured Grand Rapids’ victory and condemned Toronto to a third consecutive defeat.
Post Game Notes
– The Marlies’ young defense corps fared well under significant scrutiny and were not responsible for this defeat. Noah Chadwick, Chas Sharpe, and John Prokop (who recorded his first professional point) held their own.
Most disappointing was the performance of the top-six forwards, especially the veterans in the group. They have to be better at both ends of the ice.
– The third and fourth lines shone and were responsible for the Marlies’ two goals. I wasn’t sure about the signing of Reese Johnson in the summer, but now healthy, he’s proving to be a reliable contributor in a limited offensive role. He, Marc Johnstone, and Cedric Paré have bought into their roles on the team.
– Ryan Tverberg has goals in consecutive games and four points (2G/2A) in his last five outings.
“[Valis-Quillan-Tverberg] have given us some energy,” said Gruden. “They have some speed. They are on their checks and are playing predictable. If you do that, you get rewarded in the offensive zone. Our third and fourth line gave us a chance and each scored a goal.”
– The game statistics do him no favours, but Vyacheslav Peksa played far better than the .846 save percentage would indicate. In his first start of this season, he gave the Marlies a chance to win and did his odds of getting more playing time no harm at all.
– Friday’s lineup:
Forwards
Barbolini – Shaw – Boyd
Groulx – Haymes- Nylander
Valis – Quillan – Tverberg
Paré – Johnstone – Johnson
Defensemen
Webber – Sharpe
Prokop – Villeneuve
Smith – Chadwick
Goaltenders
Peksa
Appleby
