“They haven’t seen our best game yet, and that’s on us as a whole group. We have spurts, and we have shifts, but we just can’t string them together right now. It comes down to us wanting it a little bit more and playing more physical.”
– Logan Shaw
We were on our heels for the last 15 of the first, and we just never found a way to generate anything. We’ve got to find a way to dig in and not put ourselves in that hole. We’re going to have to juggle a few things and make sure we have a start that’s going to give us a chance to win.”
– John Gruden
The Toronto Marlies‘ 4-0 loss to the Cleveland Monsters in Game 3 was a copy-and-paste from their Game 2 defeat. For that reason, I’m going to change things up ahead of a do-or-die Game 4. Here’s a Game in 7 with my own twist:
1. Slow Starts. I’ve mentioned it countless times this season and in each series preview. In each game of this series, Cleveland has scored first within six minutes and dominated the opening period. The Marlies got off to an okay start before a needless icing resulted in a defensive-zone draw in Game 3. Toronto lost the faceoff, but should have cleared the danger before handing the puck in the slot to Owen Sillinger. After the goal, it was one-way traffic.
2. The Marlies have scored three five-on-five goals in this series. They all came in Game 1. As Captain Logan Shaw alluded to, the Marlies have spurts of offensive-zone pressure, but nothing approaching sustained pushes to break the will of Cleveland. Toronto has rarely gotten inside on the Monsters, at times appearing to be content to remain on the perimeter. That has to change. The Marlies generated three high-danger chances in the Game 3 loss.
3. Far too many of Toronto’s offensive weapons have gone eerily quiet since Game 1. It’s time for a switch-up and a different look. With the last line change on Friday night, John Gruden has to be thinking of his best options to get away from Cleveland’s shutdown line/pairing. Splitting up the top line of Groulx-Shaw-Lettieri feels like the best place to start. Toronto mustered 18 shots in Game 2 and 16 shots in Game 3. They are facing Zach Sawchenko, for goodness sake, not prime Carey Price. Test him.
4. The power play has been nothing short of horrific. It’s 1-for-9 overall, but the one goal scored came from an individual effort by Easton Cowan. The rookie was guilty of overplaying it during the man advantage in Game 3, opting to pass when the shot was there on at least three occasions. It’s time to get back to basics. Cleveland has to fear taking penalties.
5. Cleveland has worked hard in this series and made life difficult for Toronto. Worryingly, I’ve seen little pushback from the Marlies. If they really want to turn this series around, they have to match, if not better, the work rate of the Cleveland Monsters now that their backs are against the wall. They have been outplayed and outworked in eight of the nine periods during this series so far. In an elimination game, the desperation has to translate to more physical engagement in Game 4.
6. The play of Artur Akhtyamov has been a rare highlight in this series for Toronto. They only won Game 1 because he kept the Marlies afloat through 35 minutes. He has continued to hold down the fort and posted a combined .915 save percentage in three games, two of them losses. Cleveland generated eight high-danger chances in the first period of Game 3 and scored on two.
7. One Marlie who has stood up against Cleveland has been Ryan Tverberg. As Gruden searches for an offensive spark, I would seek out a decent match-up for Tverberg and his (?) linemates. His pace, relentless forecheck, and overall work rate have shone through while others around him have floundered in the first three games. He featured in two of the three high-danger chances Toronto generated in Game 3.
Puck drop for Game 4 is at 7 p.m. EST on Friday at the Coca-Cola Coliseum.
– Game 3’s lineup:
Groulx – Shaw – Lettieri
Cowan – Quillan – Tverberg
Valis – Haymes – Nylander
Pezzetta – Pare – Johnson
Thrun – Chadwick
Mermis – Villeneuve
Rifai – Danford
Akhtyamov
Hildeby
