Marlies vs. Lake Erie Monsters (October 16)

The Marlies wrapped up their three games in three nights weekend with an impressive 4-0 victory over the Lake Erie Monsters. Jerry D'Amigo (above) had a three point night. 

The Marlies now improve to 3-1 on the season.

The Marlies came away with two key wins this weekend after beating a injury plagued Lake Erie team in back-to-back nights. After a frustrating game against Grand Rapids, the Marlies bounced back very well in the physiciality department and it helped them secure four points.

The importance of winning against their division cannot be overlooked - and when it comes to a team like Lake Erie it's even more important to jump on those points early. The big difference seemed to be goaltending - Lake Erie just didn't have it.  Their starting net-minder Credrik Desjardins is injured for at least a few more weeks, but when he's healthy he could be a difference maker. So again, it's important to jump on these teams while they can. Would have been nice to see a clean sweep of three wins, but I'll take the points.

The Marlies next game is this coming Saturday, so there's a long break in between, but another key match-up vs. the Rochester Americans. The American's are 2-2 right now, and always seem to bring a good amount of physicality and veteran skill. Marlie will need to be equally as physical if they want to compete. The Marlies could have Jake Gardiner and Nazem Kadri in the lineup this coming weekend, which will add more speed and skill to the lineup.

As for Sunday's game..

[Joey Crabb - Joe Colborne - Jerry D'Amigo]...This line played very well!.....Crabb looks a real step above the rest of the competition out there. He's showing that he belongs in the NHL with his play over the weekend (and even vs. Binghampton). He's shown great puck skills, physicality, and a strong work-ethic. I wouldn't be shocked to see him called up before someone like Darrly Boyce or Mike Zigomanis if injuries arise - he's just played that well.....Colborne has been lighting it up so far this season, and although he slowed down a bit last night (lots of games in limited nights) he still picked up an assist and played well - just wasn't as much of a force as he has been in previous games.....D'Amigo had a great game last night and is starting to get back into the groove. He's keeping up fine with his line and his hard work is starting to pay off. He's not a gifted player, but has speed and smarts to get in the right spots. Picked up three-points, which hopefully will give him added confidence to score more. He also saw PK time, which was a nice bonus for him - he certainly has the speed to compete. People sort of toss him to the side after he didn't blow the doors off the AHL like fellow NCAA turned pro players Brandon Pirri and Kyle Palmieri, but let's not forget this guy is still only 20 years old - one of the youngest on the team. He deserves a fair shake, and still has potential to be a player (even if it's not for another 2-3 years from now).

[Marcel Mueller - Luca Caputi]...Two players of similar ilk, are starting to come around a bit. Mueller, after last season where he only had five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in his first 20 games, has almost already matched that with four points in his first four games. He's looking much more confident handling the puck and is really a threat in every game so far. The big thing for him will be sustaining his offensive/physical presence as it faded at points last year. At 23-years-old, and 6'4 .. he may take a little seasoning to flourish into an NHL player, but he's certainly displayed the necessary tools. Caputi is a player who's seen limited minutes in the first few games, but he also missed almost all of last season with injury. Eakins wants him at the level he was with Wilkes-Barre, but at this point he just needs to play. Scored a big goal the other night, and has looked better in every game. Thought he played very well on Sunday in a grinding/power-forward role even though he was with two ECHL players in Will Acton/Kyle Neuber. Created a few scoring chances by powering his way down low. Speed is an issue with him, but hopefully something that can be corrected over the year with more game conditioning. Again, he's another player who may need some seasoning because his style of play may not translate smoothly right away. The big difference in my eyes between these two players seems to be skating though..which at the end of the day may be the deal breaker in terms of getting a spot on an NHL club..

[Jeff Finger]...He scored a goal, which was nice to see and he seems like a really good guy, but his speed isn't even great for an AHL level. He gets burned in the defensive zone a lot off the rush, and it's going to lead to penalties against us. I wouldn't be benching players like Jesse Blacker in favour of him, that's for sure. At the same time, he did miss a ton of last season, so I'll cut him a break.

[Jussi Rynnas]...For a guy who hasn't had a ton of games due to injury, he looked really good. You certainly notice him in net due to his size, but what stands out vs. the other goalies is how atheltic he is. He's able to move so quickly in the net and made a terrific post-to-post pad save at one point last night. He didn't get tested a whole lot, and maybe was a bit too jumpy at certain points - but he did a good job challenging shooters and is aggressive. He really owns his crease, and is willing to push back if he needs to - has that 'bite' you see out of some of the more aggressive NHL goalies. Can't really complain about a shut-out - he stopped what he had to. He was extremely hot/cold last year (including a mind-blowing November), so it'll be interesting to see if he can sustain any momentum.

That's about it. I thought everyone played a rather solid two-games against Lake Erie. It's good to get off to a strong start and the Marlies have done that. Seems to be a good amount of competition right now for spots, but that can easily change when injuries/call-ups start coming through.

As per AM640 Marlie's reporter Kyle Cicerella, second-year forward Dale Mitchell is still a few weeks away as he recovers from off-season surgery (torn ACL). Once he's back, he should add more depth in the bottom-six.

Marlies vs. Monsters game sheet HERE

AM640's Kyle the Reporter's Recap HERE also!

Marlies vs. Grand Rapids Griffins (October 14th)

The Marlies made no roster changes after their victory over Binghampton

I didn't get to sit down and watch this game as closely as I would have liked, but I was still able to take down a few notes in what was a fairly boring game from the Marlies side. Boring meaning the Marlies really didn't get much going in the game. They had a hard time creating much on the breakout and the Griffins were jumping on every loose puck and closing gaps quickly. The Griffins this year are going to be an interesting team to watch as they have a lot of youth and are very, very fast. The Marlies didn't use their physical game well enough to counter the Griffins speed. They also have veteran net-minding with former Marlie Joey MacDonald which should keep them in most games. 

MacDonald did exactly that last night. While the Marlies didn't have their best game, they did have their fair share of quality chances. MacDonald was just there at every turn! The turning point in the game for me was when the Marlies couldn't cash in on a 5-on-3 for about half a minute. They had about 3-4 really strong scoring chances, but there MacDonald was with the save. Really frustrating to watch as a fan. 

The Marlies played a little too cute at the start of the game, but when they couldn't solve MacDonald they started to move the puck a little quicker on the net. The PP showed some really nice movement and solid passes, I don't predict this to be an area of concern this season. And the PK was again solid as the Marlies played very aggressive on the defenders and when the puck was shot down the ice. 

The Marlies ended up losing the game 3-2. They had some great pressure in the last two minutes of the game (sounded to me like they hit 2 posts during the final minutes of play), but the Griffins goaltending was just too strong. Colborne had scored late, but it was a little 'too' late. 

I'm not going to go line by line this game because each line played 'OK' at even strength (in my view) aside from the line of Kelsey Wilson - Kenny Ryan - Tyler Brennar. I'll talk about individual lines if they really stand out (for better or worse) to me, or if there are major shakeups in the lineup that require some attention. Never did anything like this in terms of game re-caps so it's a feeling out process for myself in terms of how I want to format these blogs.

Here's some stats from last night:

Goals (Assists):

Matt Lashoff (Jesse Blacker, Joe Colborne)

Joe Colborne (Mike Zigomanis, Korbinian Holzer)

Power Play went 0/4, but the Penalty Kill remained solid again going 4/4

[Kelsey Wilson - Kenny Ryan - Tyler Brennar]...The reason why this line stood out for me is because they were doing their job excellent last night. For me, Brennar has been a surprising physical presence. As free-agent college signing not playing at one of those 'name' schools I didn't have any expectations for him - but he's been a nice surprise even though he hasn't had a ton of minutes. Ryan has played his solid two-way game on the farm also. One of the youngest on the team, he hasn't recieved a ton of ice-time, but he's made the most of his shifts. Last night there were a lot of special teams action which limited his overall minutes (as well as being on the 4th line). Wilson has played a strong physical role and has even move up the lineup at points in the game because his ability to have that physical edge and actually contribute offensively is an interesting blend of skill set.

[Forward Youngsters: Joe Colborne, Jerry D'Amigo]...I really like his game so far, and if he can be consistent throughout the season he should be able to float around a PPG. He's a treat to watch on the PP as he seems to always make things happen. Looks very comfortable at this level and that's a good thing. D'Amigo isn't showing too much in the way of puck skills, but has good jump in his game and even saw a little bit of time on the PK last night. He's not in a scoring role, so I wouldn't expect big numbers from him early on. He may grow into a bigger role however as the season goes on.

[Forward Veterans: Mike Zigomanis, Joey Crabb]...Both of these players get a ton of ice-time and if they stay all season with the Marlies they'll be crucial to the teams success. Zigomanis is just a wizard on the draw and I can't explain how important he is to the club and his skill on the dot. Really allows the Marlies to control the flow of the game. Joey Crabb's skill level is evident and should be able to contribute offensively in a top-six role as well as playing a physical brand of hockey. Maybe playing a bit 'too cute' right now, but once he starts shooting he should be one of the team top producers. 

[Defensive Youngsters: Keith Aulie, Jesse Blacker, Korbinian Holzer, Juraj Mikus]...Aulie was quietly solid. Played physical, and jumped in offensively. He's starting to get his AHL mind frame back and may start contributing offensively if he continues to play this way. Like the Maple Leafs, the Marlies are encouraging their defense to jump into the rush and it's certainly been that way in the first two games. Jesse Blacker is still a bit green to the pro game, but fun to watch. Makes some lapses when handling the puck, but shows great promise with his size and speed. Holzer has been quietly solid, similar fashion to that of Aulie and shows maturity when he's on the ice. Juraj Mikus, to me, looks like he could have a breakout year. I've really liked his game so far and the guy can dangle! He has some nice hands and is showing increasing poise from the point. I hope he's able to stick in the top-six all year.

[Defensive Veterans: Jeff Finger]...Just didn't impress me this game. The second goal was hard to watch as he was out-hustled and then out-muscled to the puck in the final seconds of the period. Credit to him for the fight he had later in the game though - Mitch Callahan was doing a bit of running around (throwing big checks) and Finger's fight seemed to quiet him down.

[Goaltending: Ben Scrivens]...Scrivens actually played solid, he just wasn't on the same level of outstanding as MacDonald was - but that's OK. The first goal he didn't have much of a chance on as it was tipped in. The second goal was the result of a turnover by his defenseman and likely caught Scrivens off guard a bit. The third goal I actually missed, but my guess (based on how quickly it was scored) was a quick break off the puck drop. But he also came up big on a few odd-man rushes and scrambles infront of the net. That Gustav Nyquist kid did a good job running the show in the Marlies defensive end at points in the game.

***For those I haven't mentioned - make note that it doesn't mean they played poorly! I just didn't either see enough of them, or they didn't stand out enough for me to write anything worthwhile about them! The AHL Live feed from Grand Rapids was jumping around to weird angles at times which made it hard to follow the flow sometimes***

Marlies vs. Griffins game sheet HERE

Marlies vs. Binghampton Senators (October 8th)

This year I'm giong to try and give game recaps of as many Marlie games as I can. These are just a collection of thoughts based on my viewings.

 
First off, this game was pretty big. The Marlies facing off against the defending Calder Cup champions is a good test to start the year. Here was the Marlies line-up:

Caputi - Colborne - Crabb
Mueller - Zigomanis - Hamilton
D'Amigo - Boyce - Scott
Brenner - Ryan - Wilson

Aulie - Finger
Mikus - Holzer
Lashoff - Blacker

Scrivens

Rynnas

The Marlies went down 2-0 in the first period, but I felt they controlled most of the game. They hit a few posts in the first that could have easily swung the game in their favour sooner. Kaspar Daugavins opened the scoring by dancing through Jesse Blacker and going top cheese on Ben Scrivens. Blacker was walked through, but if you take a look at the play Luca Caputi plays it horribly. He does the effort to back check, but then just watches the play when he was right there to stick check or do SOMETHING to prevent Daugavins from going through Blacker. I guess he figured a rookie defender in his first shift could stop a seasoned AHL vet...

After the second goal, Scrivens shut the door. He was a wall coming up with some big saves when they needed it. He stopped at least three breakaways. Was very squared to the puck and didn't allow many rebounds. Great bounce back by him after going down 2-0. He stopped 23 of 25 shots. 

The team in general looked very strong. The cycle game was on display most of the night. The Marlies have a sizable forward group and it showed. It was great to see them come back from being down 2-0 (won the game 3-2). Good confidence builder!

[Joey Crabb - Joe Colborne - Luca Caputi]...Crabb looked like a seasoned AHL player in this game. Had good control of the puck, scored a nice goal. Should be a key veteran scorer if he sticks around long enough. Colborne looked great too. Offensively, he looked very confident. His goal was in classic power-forward fashion. He powered his way down the side boards from the blueline carrying the puck. Cowick (I believe it was) bounced off him with an attempted hit and then followed it up with an attempted stick check that Colborne powered through. He then cut to the hash marks to rip it past McKenna upstairs. Great first game for him..good to build on and hit the crossbar later in the game. Caputi wasn't anything special, but he was injured most of last season so he'll need some time to get back into things here.

[Marcel Mueller - Mike Zigomanis - Ryan Hamilton]...Mueller was one of the Marlies best forwards in my eyes, if not the best. He was throwing his weight around and really controlling the flow of the game. Took hits and threw a few himself. His massive size allowed him to sheild the puck and he had a few opportunities to score. He finished with 1 assist and it was off a nice pass to Crabb. If he can bring that game consistently, he'll float around a PPG in my opinion. Zigomanis was his regular self, and like Crabb will play tough minutes for the Marlies. Hamilton is in the same boat. Strong on the boards, created offense. Probably the teams best line this game. 

[Jerry D'Amigo - Darryl Boyce - Greg Scott]...This line played OK too. Boyce was the best player, he jumped on a lot of pucks and was relied heavily on the PK. D'Amigo showed good speed and a willingness to play physically. Didn't see any special teams action, which limited his overall minutes. He drew a penalty by using his quick feet. Scott took a few hard hits, didn't look too great, but I expect him to get better as the season gets going.

[Kelsey Wilson - Kenny Ryan - Tyler Brennar]...Played their role perfectly. They created some good problems down low in the offensive zone and generated a few quality scoring chances. Brennar specifically was really playing well. Kept his feet moving all night and was throwing his body around. He's not without skill either. Kenny Ryan had a good showing in his first game too. Kept up with the pace and played a safe chip/chase game. Had some opportunities to pot his first goal too. Wilson showed some good offensive ability and saw a little power-play time in the second-half of the game. Will provide the Marlies with a power-forward game.

[Keith Aulie - Jeff Finger]...Thought they played quiet, which is good news. Both were smart in their physical play. Finger looked a step behind, although he missed a good chunk of the year. Aulie played physical and had a few nice hits. Good transition game also.

[Juraj Mikus - Korbinian Holzer]...Mikus was the best defender in my opinion - at least offensively. He showed some nifty offensive ability with pulling a few poised dekes. Saw a lot of ice-time in all situations. His assist on Boyce's goal was a nice heads up play to get it over to him. A number of players would have just shot it on net in a scramble like that - but he showed offensive smarts in deep. Holzer had a quiet game - which is good for him. Had a few turnovers, but nothing serious. 

[Matt Lashoff - Jesse Blacker]...Lashoff saw a lot of ice-time in a variety of different situations. Nothing to much in the way of standing out, he was good overall. Blacker showed off his great skating ability and was used in a quarter-back role at points on the secondary power-play unit. Fell hard in the end-boards and looked seriously injured, but came back later in the game. His speed allowed him to recover quickly, but he was burned a few times on the defensive side of things - strong debut though, he bounced back really well after getting dangled on the first goal. 

[Special Teams]...Here's what I had written down for lines on the PK and PP units:

PK 1: Ryan Hamilton - Mike Zigomanis - Korbinian Holzer - Juraj Mikus

PK 2: Darryl Boyce - Greg Scott - Jeff Finger - Matt Lashoff

Joey Crabb also rotated into the PK taking Greg Scott's spot.

PP 1: Marcel Mueller - Mike Zigomanis - Joey Crabb - Joe Colborne - Matt Lashoff

PP 2: Greg Scott - Darryl Boyce - Ryan Hamilton - Juraj Mikus - Jesse Blacker

Kelsey Wilson also rotated in for Ryan Hamilton and played infront of the net most of the PP.

They had Mike Zigomanis also rotate to the point at times during the power play. Colborne took the spot of a right-defender and did a lot of end-to-end rushing with the pucks. Played the role of the quarter-back at times. The Marlies would push four players deep and have one defender hang back on their PP.

[Notes]...Eakins seemed to roll four lines most of the game...Seemed like Blacker, D’Amigo, Ryan, and Brennar were the ones with the least amount of ice time.... Which isn’t a big surprise given there among the youngest players on the team...There were also 22 minutes devoted to special teams which kept the youngsters out of the loop for the most part...Marlies went 2/7 on the PP (28%) and went 4/4 on the PK (kept everything to the outside and let Scrivens see a lot of shots)...

The Marlies have a huge weekend with three games in three nights. If they can steal two wins against the Lake Erie Monsters, it would be a really good start to the season.

Nazem Kadri may see action with the Marlies this weekend as he progresses from injury, but nothing is set in stone yet. Jamie Devane was sent back to Plymouth for his over-age season. It seems he fell victim to a numbers game with the Marlies forward depth.

Marlies vs. Senators game sheet HERE!

Check out the Marlies Weekly Release HERE!

Marlies potential depth chart

Now that some of the final cuts have been made, here is a look at the potential depth chart for the Marlies.. it will likely always be in flux:

Ryan Hamilton (V) - Mike Zigomanis (V) - Joey Crabb (V)

Luca Caputi - Joe Colborne - Marcel Mueller

Jerry D'Amigo - Darryl Boyce - Greg Scott

Jamie Devane - Kenny Ryan - Tyler Brennar

Extra: Kelsey Wilson (V), Kyle Neuber, Brayden Irwin, Dale Mitchell, Will Acton, Matt Caruana

Matt Lashoff (V) - Keith Aulie

Jesse Blacker - Korbinian Holzer

Juraj Mikus - Simon Gysbers

Extra: Jeff Finger (V), Josh Engel

Ben Scrivens

Jussi Rynnas

Extra: Mark Owuya

My guess is Will Acton, and Matt Caruana start the season in the ECHL and are re-called as injuries arise. Potentially the same could happen with Brayden Irwin. I think Kyle Neuber sticks around for the enforcer role - just signed with the Marlies. Mark Owuya is likely destined for the ECHL at some point also.

Players with a (V) next to their name, by my calculations, are players who qualify for the veteran rule. In the AHL, since it's a developmental league, you are restricted to the amount of veterans you can ice in one game. I believe to qualify as a veteran it's 260 pro games (AHL, NHL, European leagues .. etc) and can only play 4 or 5 a game.

Reading Royals (ECHL) who were at camp with the Marlies:

D - Dennis Urban

D - Ray Macias

D - Dave Cowan

F - Chad Painchaud

Boyce, Aulie among final Maple Leaf cuts

Some were surprised, but for this Maple Leaf fan these moves were expected.

Today, the Maple Leafs made their final cuts to their roster. They sent down Keith Aulie, Darryl Boyce, Joey Crabb, Matt Lashoff and Mike Zigomanis. Boyce, Crabb and Lashoff will have to pass through waivers first in order to play with the Marlies.

In the summer I had made mention in one of my Hockey's Future articles (Maple Leafs Top 20) that Aulie wasn't a safe bet because of the added depth to the Maple Leafs line-up and the fact that Komisarek has a NMC which prevents him from being waived unless he gives it the thumbs up:

"With the additions of John-Michael Liles, Cody Franson, and big ticket defenseman Mike Komisarek still in the fold; Aulie will be in tough to win a position with the club out of camp. He's still exempt from waivers, which could play a factor at the start of the season."

Some thought I was crazy to suggest it, but now it's come to fruition and it was pretty obvious from the start. There were just too many factors playing against him.

For one, the added depth. Aulie wasn't going to beat out Luke Schenn or Dion Phaneuf for a spot on the team. Komisarek's NMC all but assured he would be on the 23 man roster, unless some team wanted him in trade - and at this point, not likely. So there's three spots wrapped up.

Then, the Maple Leafs added John-Michael Liles to be their 'puck-mover' and Cody Franson who was expected to anchor the secondary power-play unit. The fact the Maple Leafs had so little scoring from their defense last year gives these players the edge in my view. They need to improve special teams, and Liles/Franson can do that. Aulie could potentially improve the PK, but I think the thought process might have been that adding Lombardi, Dupuis and a full season of Reimer will work itself out - or at least make the PK respectable.

Jake Gardiner's lights out performance didn't help Aulie either. The original plan had seemed that they were going to let Gardiner grow on the farm while Liles sort of played placeholder for the season. They really couldn't justfiy cutting Gardiner and keeping Aulie based on how both players performed. Gardiner just wasn't the best Maple Leaf defender, some games he was the best defender on the ice. Both players being waiver exempt made Aulie the obvious target for demotion without threat.

So, with all these factors playing against him, Aulie was the odd man out...but I wouldn't count him out for long. You get the feeling the Maple Leafs are going to shake up their defense one way or another. Not only do they have 7 NHL defenders on the roster (arguably), but the depth on the farm is there to play a variety of bottom-four defensive roles. Who they'll acquire? I don't know...I'll save that for another blog.

The best thing would be to move Komisarek to someone...anyone! But like I've stated in my previous blog here it's not so simple. For now, Aulie will have to bide his time on the Marlies and hopes another players hiccup will open the door for another shot at cementing himself in the top-six.

As for the other players, the only one I'm mildly surprised with is Darryl Boyce just because I got the vibe that Ron Wilson really liked him. I did feel Philippe Dupuis had outplayed him though for that 4th line spot. Dupuis impressed me in a 4th line role from day one. I would have liked to keep both, but I knew when Rosehill signed that one-year deal in the summer he was likely to stick around. Seems rather silly to keep both Colton Orr and Jay Rosehill in the lineup, but I imagine they want Rosehill around for insurance purposes in-case Orr gets dropped again. I actually think Rosehill can be useful in a 12/13th forward role.

Maybe it's a stretch with the names on the waiver wire, but I wouldn't be shocked if some team saw value in Boyce. I think if someone like Tim Brent could find a contract, Boyce may prove useful to some team - similar to Nick Johnson being picked up by Minnesota off the wire last week. But at the same time, everyone is trying to cut rosters down so maybe he sneaks through.

My next blog will focus on the Marlies depth now that the cuts have been made.