Toronto had four different goal scorers in Sunday's win over the Utica Comets.
Toronto had four different goal scorers in Sunday's win over the Utica Comets.
It was a weekend of early learning for the Toronto Marlies.
On Saturday, Toronto had its season opener against the Rochester Americans. The Marlies pulled ahead of the Rochester Americans, leading 4-1 after two periods. Logan Shaw and Bobby McMann had a pair of goals each to put Toronto in front.
However, in the third period, the team gave up three unanswered goals which forced the game to overtime. And that's where Rochester got the better of Toronto.
A point shot from Jiri Kulich got by Marlies netminder Keith Petruzzelli, ending the near 10-goal matinee.
"(Rochester) had a push and we didn't respond to it until after the timeout, for me," head coach John Gruden said post-game on Saturday.
"That's a learning experience for our guys. I'm not going to get too caught up in it because it's one game. But it's something we'll have to clean up if we want to be a good team in this league and moving forward."
This was McMann's first game since being cleared to play following a lingering injury that stuck with him all summer. And from my eyes, it looked like the 27-year-old didn't miss a beat.
He was throwing his body around, making plays, and really, doing what he does best in the AHL, finding the back of the net. McMann said after the game that he never thought about the injury coming into this game.
"They (the organization) were great here about getting me enough reps and battles that I felt comfortable and I wasn't even thinking about (the injury) out there."
The Marlies had a near-identical game on Sunday against the Utica Comets. This time, they held onto the lead and won the game.
Pontus Holmberg, Dylan Gambrell, Ryan Tverberg, and Nick Robertson all had their first goals of the season. Tverberg's goal, in particular, was his first professional tally.
"I think he gives you some balance as far as, he can play up and down the lineup," Gruden said. "He can play center, he can play with your first line, your fourth line. I like his game. He's doing a lot of the little things right and you can see how he'd be a good prospect down the road just like a lot of our other players."
They scored the first four goals on nine shots in the first period, running former Maple Leafs and Marlies goaltender Erik Kallgren out of the net. Utica pushed for the comeback, putting two goals past Martin Jones.
But Toronto held onto the lead and won the game, something they couldn't do on Saturday.
"I liked how we handled the third," Gruden said. "We were more detailed, we were stopping and starting in our own end, we were closing quicker, and not giving (Utica) anything. If they're going to come back on us, we got to make sure that they're going 200 feet."
After two games, a number of Marlies are averaging over a point per game. Robertson's two goals and three assists have him atop the team in points. Shaw's four points (two goals, two assists) puts him next on the list.
"We saw how dangerous (Robertson's) shot is," Gruden said. "He's just got to continue to stay confident, keep growing his game, and understand what's going to grow his game."
McMann has three points (two goals, one assist) in two games while both Holmberg, Tverberg, Alex Steeves and Joseph Blandisi have two points. But it was a full team effort to get their first win of the season on Sunday.
"It's a luxury," Gruden said of the Marlies' depth. "Not many teams can roll out four lines and six defensemen like we can. So we have to use that to our strength and make sure everyone's involved and we're all doing our jobs."
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