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
