Cleveland hosts Toronto in Game 2 of the North Division finals tonight (7 ET, 
) after the Monsters let a 2-0 lead slip away and turn into a 5-2 Marlies victory in the opener on Thursday.
Toronto scored five unanswered goals in the final 22:08 of Game 1, with Easton Cowan and Marshall Rifai scoring to tie the game before the second intermission and Alex Nylander, Ryan Tverberg and Bo Groulx converting on three of the Marlies’ five third-period shots.
Groulx, held without a point in Toronto’s five-game division semifinal series against Laval, finished with a goal and two assists on Thursday.
“I loved the last 25 minutes,” Marlies head coach John Gruden said after Game 1. “We were a completely different team. But credit to them, knowing that when we are not at our best, we find a way to understand what it’s going to take. We flipped the switch. But we have got to start that way, especially in these five-game series. We can’t allow a team any life.”
Cleveland owned a 23-8 advantage in shots on goal in addition to their 2-0 lead before Toronto began to chip away.
“Up until 35 minutes into the game, it felt like a pretty dominant effort from my vantage point,” Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber said. “They’ve got a lot of high skill…and they take advantage of opportunities. It’s unfortunate, the result, but (there’s) a lot of good things to build on.”
Ben Danford, the Maple Leafs’ first-round draft pick in 2024, drew into the Marlies’ Game 1 lineup for his professional debut.
“He skates extremely well, he’s smart, he’s strong, he’s physical,” Gruden said of the 20-year-old defenseman. “I thought he got stronger as the game went on. It’s going to take some time, but to come in like that your first AHL game was pretty impressive.”
The Central Division finals continue tonight in Grand Rapids (7 ET, ) with Chicago looking to build on the momentum from their 2-1 win in Game 1 on Thursday.
Wolves captain Josiah Slavin scored 6:48 into the third period to snap a 1-1 tie and send Chicago to the Game 1 win. Cayden Primeau (4-2, 2.07, .924) turned away 23 shots, allowing just one goal for the fourth time in his six playoff starts.
“Our team came out ready to play,” Slavin said. “We started off really strong and they couldn’t handle our pressure. When we kept that on, we were all over them. I’m very happy with our team effort.”
“We gave up too many chances that got them into the game and made them feel good about themselves,” Griffins defenseman William Lagesson said. “We’ve got to tighten that up and reset and focus on the next one.”
Michal Postava (3-2, 1.41, .943) made 30 saves for Grand Rapids. In his first start following a loss this season, Postava is 7-0-0 with a 1.29 GAA, a .947 save percentage and three shutouts.
“He’s just dialed in,” Griffins head coach Dan Watson said. “You talk about the mental side of the game, that’s what it looks like when you’re ready to go.”