“They came right at us, and we weren’t ready. We lost every battle in the first 10 minutes. They won all the races. We looked slow. It hasn’t happened very often with our group, so I’ll chalk this up as a one-and-done, and we had better be ready to go tomorrow.”
– John Gruden
The Toronto Marlies‘ Achilles heel this season has been a slow start. Against a desperate Syracuse Crunch team fighting for its playoff life, the Marlies dug themselves a three-goal hole they never looked likely to climb out of in this 5-0 loss on Friday.
First Period
Allowing a goal in 60 seconds is bad enough, but how the Marlies conceded made it much worse. Toronto lost several battles along the wall and wasted chances to clear the zone before Max Crozier scored with a low shot from the right circle.
Scoring opportunities were few and far between, but 20 seconds after the restart, Toronto should have leveled the score. Nikita Grebenkin led a 2v1, but Matt Tomkins easily smothered the shot.
Syracuse could have put up a football score in the opening frame. Conor Geekie, Gabriel Fortier, and Maxim Groshev frittered away Grade-A scoring chances before the Crunch finally doubled their lead seconds before the midway mark.
It was the same story as the first goal, featuring lost battles and a breakdown in defensive coverage. Dennis Hildeby initially stopped Logan Brown, but he could do nothing to prevent Dylan Duke from finishing the rebound.
Toronto then fell behind 3-0 inside 15 minutes. Syracuse owns the second-worst power play in the league, but it didn’t matter here. One simple seam pass solved the Maries’ PK as Crozier finished a tap-in from the blue paint.
The Marlies finished the period with consecutive power plays and should have scored. With Tomkins scrambling, Nick Abruzzese lifted the puck over the vacant cage.
Syracuse almost made it 4-0 in the final second of the frame. Hildeby got a piece of a shot to send the puck high after Duke escaped on a shorthanded breakaway.
Second Period
Toronto briefly threatened to make the game competitive again, although a comeback was never really on the cards.
Life became a little more difficult when Matt Benning was hurt by what appeared to be a late hit on the neutral zone. There was no penalty on the play outside of Joseph Blandisi’s roughing call for jumping in to defend his teammate. Benning left the game and did not return.
Jacob Quillan had a breakaway chance on the ensuing penalty kill, but it was another disappointing finish as Tomkins made a relatively easy glove save.
Syracuse wasted little time netting a fourth when the game returned to five-on-five. Marshall Rifai lost his battle down low following a dump-in, and Topi Niemelä didn’t know whether to stick or twist, as Joel Teasdale scored on a feed from Daniel Walcott.
Syracuse took its foot off the gas after that, with the result never in danger. A sloppy play late in the frame presented Tverberg a chance to get Toronto on the board. Alone on Tomkins, Tverberg chose a deke over a shot, and Tomkins made a comfortable pad save.
Third Period
Score effects led to the Marlies out-shooting Syracuse 16-9, but I’m not sure they would have found the net if they played for another hour.
Tverberg, Zach Solow, and Quillan could not capitalize on the three quality scoring chances generated as Tomkins coasted to a relatively easy shutout.
The Crunch rounded off a comprehensive win with a fifth goal, simply outworking Toronto and dominating possession and zone time before Groshev scored unmarked from the slot.
Post Game Notes
There isn’t much to add after such an abject performance. As with these types of results, it’s more how the Marlies respond than the loss itself. That said, John Gruden must be frustrated at how such a talented team continues to stumble out of the blocks to start games.
– Friday’s lineup:
Forwards
Quillan – Shaw – Hirvonen
Abruzzese – Minten – Nylander
Grebenkin – Paré – Solow
Mastrosimone – Stevens – Blandisi
Defensemen
Mermis – Villeneuve
Webber – Miller
Rifai- Niemelä
Goaltenders
Hildeby
Akhtyamov
