{"id":2502,"date":"2023-12-07T18:41:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T18:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/?p=2502"},"modified":"2023-12-07T18:41:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T18:41:00","slug":"marlies-midweek-report-exciting-win-vs-griffins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/index.php\/2023\/12\/07\/marlies-midweek-report-exciting-win-vs-griffins\/","title":{"rendered":"Marlies Midweek Report:\u00a0Exciting Win Vs. Griffins"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Stan Smith<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Toronto Marlies took on the visiting Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday night in the first of two contests between the two teams in Toronto in six days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have to comment that anyone complaining about the NHL schedule would be flabbergasted by the AHL schedule. While the Marlies sit at home for five days between the two contests with Grand Rapids, the Griffins take the six-hour drive to Toronto and then travel on to Belleville to take on the Senators on Friday and Saturday before returning to Toronto to take on the Marlies on Sunday.\u00a0As if playing three games in three days isn\u2019t bad enough, the Saturday game between the Griffins and the Senators has a 7:00 pm start and the Sunday game in Toronto is an afternoon 4:00 pm game. They then have the six-hour drive back to Grand Rapids.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On that note, AHL teams can carry as many players as they want on their roster; and, I can see why.\u00a0The Marlies\u2019 website lists 32 players on their roster, 20 forwards, nine defensemen, and three goalies.\u00a0That does not include the six players on the Maple Leafs\u2019 active roster who started the season with the Marlies and were subsequently called up for various reasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t know how many players a team would need to play three games in three nights but I can imagine the Griffins\u2019 bus must be pretty crowded.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: Maple Leafs Fans Still Raise Concerns About Nylander<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to Tuesday\u2019s Game Between the Griffins and the Marlies\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let me rewrite the text to make it clearer and correct any errors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s go back to the game played on Tuesday between the Griffins and the Marlies. It was a back-and-forth game with the two teams trading goals throughout the first two periods. Dimitri Ovchinnikov got the Marlies on the board first, when he scored six minutes into the game. The goal was assisted by Zach Solow and Pontus Holmberg. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That lead lasted all of 1:40 as Joel L\u2019Esperance replied for the Griffins.\u00a0Mikko Kokonnen put the Marlies up 2-1 with just 1:08 left in the first period with a wrist shot from the point that alluded a former Marlie\u2019s and Maple Leafs’ goalie Michael (Guess Who?) Hutchinson.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Marlies came out of an evenly played first period with a 2-1 lead.\u00a0The shots were 10-9 for Toronto.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Griffins Tie the Game in the Second Period<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Albert Johansson tied the game up for Grand Rapids at the midpoint of the second period. Three minutes later, Kyle Clifford scored on what might be one of the ugliest breakaways I have ever seen.\u00a0Logan Shaw finds Clifford behind the Griffins\u2019 defence and hits him with a pass up the middle.\u00a0Clifford never really gets control of the puck.\u00a0He bats it forward while shrugging off one Griffins\u2019s defender, and gets his stick on it again while shrugging off a second defender.\u00a0Clifford catches up to the puck and manages a weak wrist shot that trickles between Hutchinson\u2019s legs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shots in the second period were 11-11 and the Marlies led 3-2 after two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: How Can Maple Leafs Auston Matthews Get Better?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Marlies Looked Like They Were Headed for Their Seventh Straight Loss<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Early in the third period, it appeared as though the Marlies were on track to lose their seventh consecutive game. At 2:35 of the period, Zach Solow, covering Taro Hirose in front of the Toronto net, got his elbow up into Hirose\u2019s face.\u00a0It did not look vicious or intentional but Hirose went down in a heap on the ice. With the referee\u2019s arm up the Griffins pulled Hutchinson and the play continued six-on-five for 50 seconds in the Toronto zone before Jonatan Berggren found the back of the net through a crowd of players to tie the game at three.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, when a team scores 6-on-5 with a penalty about to be scored the penalty is negated.\u00a0But, after the four officials on the ice consulted they decided Solow\u2019s elbow on Hirose was deserving of a five-minute major and a game misconduct.\u00a0With the major penalty call, it meant Grand Rapids would have a total of 5:50 of time with an extra attacker.\u00a0The 50 seconds that already had before they scored and the remaining five minutes where they could score as many goals as they could.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make things more dire for the Marlies, the Griffins scored to go ahead 4-3 just 1:09 into the five minutes. They were pumped.\u00a0The Griffins were flying, and the Marlies were just barely holding on.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Back to work today \ud83d\udc4a The latest news & notes from today's Marlies Minute \u23f0 pic.twitter.com\/KIjsqvD4EZ<\/a><\/p>— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) December 6, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>