Marlies Need To Improve Despite Moderate Success

Although Toronto won, they trailed for the majority of the game and looked sluggish doing it. Mustering up a lowly 19 shots on goal against one of the league’s worst teams is nothing to write home about.

Sunday’s game against Cleveland was of utmost importance, given that the two squads have been neck-and-neck in the North Division for most of the season. Unfortunately, the Marlies weren’t able to grab more than the extra point.

Hutchinson started for the second night in a row, leaving recent Newfoundland Growlers (ECHL) call-up Keith Petruzzelli on the bench again. The six goals against was far from ideal, but Hutch did make 41 saves. Given the team’s effort, the blame was surely spread around the room.

After another 5-1 drubbing against Cleveland on Friday (with Hutchinson once again in goal), the Marlies now sit fourth in the North—four points behind the Monsters and two points behind the Rochester Americans.

What’s Next In The Crease?

Now, one question rises above the rest: How will the Marlies fare without two of their main netminders? Källgren doesn’t yet have a return-to-play timetable, and Joseph Woll is still up with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ian Scott is also in the picture and may be nearing a return. Unfortunately, many aren’t holding their breath, considering his health woes of the last two seasons.

Hutchinson should be able to shoulder the bulk of the starts, but he still needs a tandem partner. Luckily, the Marlies do have one bullet left in the chamber. It’s just an inexperienced bullet—the aforementioned Petruzzelli.

The 22-year-old goaltender was a third-round pick (88th overall) of the Detroit Red Wings back in 2017, but ended up signing a two-year, two-way contract with the Marlies last May.

He’s only played five games at the professional level in his career—all of which were this season for the Growlers. Luckily, his lack of experience hasn’t been an issue so far, as he’s 4-1-0 with a 1.60 GAA and a .952 SV%. He’s still not truly ready for an AHL promotion, but the Marlies had no choice but to call him up anyways.

All of this disarray truly shows how quickly Källgren became a vital part of the Marlies’ crease. Heading into the game against the Rocket, the young Swede had a 4-2-0 record with a 2.50 GAA and a .923 SV% through seven games. To put it simply, the Marlies would not be third in the North Division without his consistently stellar performances.

Not bad, considering he’s a former seventh-round pick (taken 183rd overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2015). The Leafs took a gamble when they signed him to a two-year, two-way contract back in May, and it seems to be paying early dividends. Hopefully he won’t be out for too long, but there’s no chance he’s rushed back, either.

How Are Things Up Front?

To put it simply: things are good, but not good enough. The Marlies are 10th in the league in goals scored (47), but sit 19th in goals against (46), meaning they’re essentially breaking even.

One of the biggest factors has been their lack of depth scoring. 22 of the team’s 47 goals (47%) have been scored by three players. This lamp-lighting trio consists of Josh Ho-Sang, Alex Steeves, and Brett Seney.

Ho-Sang has made the headlines a couple of times in recent years, but often not for the right reasons. Despite this, the Leafs signed him to a PTO back in July, allowing him to use team facilities and resources in Toronto (his hometown) until training camp began.

After a summer of hard work, the 25-year-old has seemingly re-discovered his game to the tune of eight goals and 12 points in just 13 games. He’s currently on a one-year AHL contract, but the Leafs are happy to have him in their back pocket.

Steeves also seems to be found money. The Leafs signed the undrafted Notre Dame (Big-10) forward to a three-year, entry-level contract back in March. He was a point-per-game player in his last season with the Fighting Irish, and has continued that trend with the Marlies so far, recording six goals and nine points in nine games.

Seney, like Ho-Sang, is 25 years of age and still trying to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. For now, he’ll have to settle for tearing things up with the Marlies. Last year was uncharacteristically bad for Seney, but the eight goals and 13 points he’s racked up through 14 games this season is certainly a step towards retribution.

The rest of the forwards haven’t necessarily been invisible. Some of the lacking production can be attributed to inexperience, while some is simply inconsistency.

Nick Robertson hasn’t played much hockey at the professional level, but his presence has certainly been missed. Every rookie besides Steeves is sitting on three goals or less, although those such as Semyon Der-Arguchintsev have started to turn a corner as of late.

Another player who’s been making the most out of their opportunity is Bobby McMann. The 25-year-old undrafted centre came to the Marlies after four solid years at Colgate University (ECAC), and a short stint with the Wichita Thunder (ECHL).

Through just seven games with the Marlies, McMann has racked up two goals and five points. Not bad considering he only managed to record two goals and four points in 21 AHL games last season.

Consistent scoring is absolutely achievable, but the forward corps’ ability to help the Marlies string together wins also relies on how well every line can play 200-foot hockey.

But What About The Blue Line?

The Marlies have been just OK when it comes to how they’ve played in their own end. They’ve defended well enough to be in the mix for a lower-end playoff spot. The problem is what that success looks like relative to the depth chart.

For example, Alex Biega and Carl Dahlstrom have a combined 305 games of NHL experience. This season, they have just three assists in a collective 25 games. Neither is necessarily known for their offence, but one would think they’d be able to muster up more tangible production. Especially considering their defensive play has been extremely average.

Brennan Menell, who was arguably the best defenceman in the KHL last season, has also started slow. Through seven games, he has two points and 15 penalty minutes. Not exactly the contribution they were expecting, although naturally it’s still early.

The only true bright spots have been Joseph Duszak and Kristians Rubins. Duszak still hasn’t scored this season, but his 12 assists in 11 games leads the entire team. Rubins hasn’t found the scoresheet nearly as often, but both have been very steady for most of the season.

Another encouraging sign has been the play of Filip Kral. The 22-year-old Czech Republic native is still fairly raw, but his poise and quick decision-making with the puck are helping to set him apart.

Mac Hollowell and Teemu Kivihalme were both expected to take a step this year, but neither has been able to stick in the lineup so far. Hollowell (22) is three years younger and has more upside, so he’ll get the longer leash.

Speaking of 22-year-olds with upside, Leafs and Marlies fans alike have been dying to get a glimpse of the infamous Noel Hoefenmayer. The former OHL defenceman of the year has only gotten into three games so far, recording two assists.

He plays a very high-risk, high-reward game, meaning his development could end up being more of a project than most. Fortunately, that project seems to be worth the wait.

Upcoming Action

The Marlies’ last game against the Monsters was actually the second of three straight between these divisional rivals.

Toronto hosts game three at Coca-Cola Coliseum on Saturday, November 27 at 4:00pm ET. The game will also be televised on TSN4. From there, the Marlies are off until Saturday December 4 when they’ll welcome the Atlantic Division-leading Springfield Thunderbirds to town.