Toronto Shutout In Final Game of Road Trip

TOR 0 - BEL 4

Toronto: No goals
Goaltender: A. Akhtyamov (35/38) L

Belleville: O. Pettersson (3) (Unassisted), C. Yakemchuk (3) PP (A. Laiyev, P. Daoust), A. Kaliyev (9) (S. Harrington, C. Yakemchuk). J. Jenik (2) EN (Unassisted)
Goaltender: J. Parsons (25/25) W        

ON THE SCORESHEET

• Artur Akhtyamov stopped 35 of 38 shots he faced. This was the second game this season. Akhtyamov has faced 38 shots and the fourth game in his AHL career where he has faced 38 or more.

TEAM NOTES

• Today’s morning game was Toronto’s second this season. Toronto is 29-19-6-1 in games played before noon and 2-4-1-0 on the road.
• The Marlies went 4-for-5 on the penalty kill and 0-for-3 on the power play. Toronto is 3-6-1-0 when not scoring on the power play and 2-4-1-1 when allowing a goal on the penalty kill.
• Belleville outshot Toronto 39-25. Vinni Lettieri led the Marlies with five shots on goal. Toronto is 3-4-0-0 when outshot by their opponent.
• The Marlies are 3-4-0-1 against North Division opponents and are 1-2-0-1 against the Senators.

POSTGAME QUOTES

HEAD COACH JOHN GRUDEN

On today’s game:

We’re rebuilding our game right now because we’re in a tough time. I’m not going to sit here and point any fingers. I’ll start with myself but at the end of the day, we’ve got to be quicker on our decision making. A lot of the things that are happening that are ending up in the back of our net are one-and-done. Turnovers that are shooting us in the foot. We don’t have the team right now that can spot two goals. When you’re chasing from behind and you press a little bit, it’s not good enough, it’s not our standard and we have to find ways to get better.

BO GROULX

On the team’s performance:
First of all, our game wasn’t good enough. Everybody knows it in the room. I remember when I signed here, I saw the guys that are in the room, the young guys and the coaching staff and everything and we’re expecting a lot from ourselves and I think we kind of got ahead a bit of ourselves at the beginning of the season. I think all teams have new players and they go through a phase like that but the way we’re losing right now, we’re losing battles, we’re not competing until the end and that’s not us. We have a bunch of character in this room. I’m not doubting our character at all. I know it’s in us and we’re going to figure that out. But ‘we’re going to have to get back to practice Friday and really, really set our standards and keep it the rest of the year.