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Toronto Marlies Notebook: Weekend Field Trip

By Mike Stephens

TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 25: The Toronto Marlies celebrate their win against the Belleville Senators during AHL game action on November 25, 2017 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 25: The Toronto Marlies celebrate their win against the Belleville Senators during AHL game action on November 25, 2017 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 2: Jeremy Bracco
TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 2: Jeremy Bracco /

Systems

Want to know what I love the most about the Marlies?

It’s that, from day one of training camp, they teach the exact same system the Leafs do.

This way, when a player is called up to the NHL, they slot perfectly into the lineup and completely skip the adjustment period. How else could Nikita Soshnikov be called up in the morning, and play on the penalty kill on the same night?

This becomes infinitely more valuable to a team filled to the brim with young talent.

Power Play

 Jeremy Bracco‘s game reminds a lot of Mitch Marner‘s, in that both are small, speedy wingers with incredible puck skills and vision. Those skills are suited perfectly for use on the power play, which is where Bracco is used most effectively.

Take a look at this power play goal from last season, and note the set play that leads to it:

The Leafs LOVE the high tip. A player slides along the wall, waiting for the someone to move into the high slot. Then, he fires a slap pass into the slot, where the other player redirects it into the net.

Funnily enough, the Marlies use that exact same set play, along with slight modifications. This forces it to become muscle memory in their young players before they even sniff the NHL.

Take a look at this PP goal by Greening from last Sunday, and you’ll see what I mean:

The player on the boards slides down and feeds the puck into the slot. Normally, Kerby Rychel would have redirected that on goal. Except for this time, he sensed Greening crashing the net behind him and stopped in order to catch the goalie off guard.

It’s a terrific play, one that transcends the organizational levels.

I don’t know about you, but the thought of Liljegren mastering the Leafs power play systems by age 19 gets me giddy. Although, then again, anything Timmy does gets me giddy.

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