It's Marlies time again!

Roster changes are the normal course of life in the AHL, but to start this season the Marlies in particular have had quite an upheaval with a lot of new names on the team and even an old name from the Leafs organisation returning to the team.

You can see a lot of familiar names in the ranks, but there's a lot of big names no longer with the team from the start of last season like Niemelä, Hirvonen, Minten, Steeves, Kokkonen, Abruzzese, and of course, our dear GREB!

I asked John Gruden about handling a roster with so much turnover year to year and he said "It's hard [but] we have a bunch of good guys in that locker room, and they understand what's going on. It'll take care of itself, we just have to be patient, and understand we're all in it together," adding about it was on the players to perform and earn their shot on this large roster, saying "no one is going to like not playing, but they have to understand we have to do our best to still have a standard and identity that we want to create, and all those guys are going to be there to support that."

Subsequent to Saturday's game, Braeden Kressler and Ken Appleby were reassigned to the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL.

Highlights

Scoring two goals was the plan of the weekend for two different Marlies. On Friday, Borya Valis took up the mantle. Here's number one.

And here's number two.

If you want to read up more on Valis, we have an article here from back in May when he was signed by the Leafs to an ELC after not being drafted to the NHL.

Getting to Know Borya Valis
Let’s all get to know Toronto’s newest prospect, his strengths as a power forward with strong off-puck play and what his development path needs to be for him to make the NHL.
PPP LeafsBrian S

Unfortunately, this wasn't enough for the Marlies and they ultimately lost to Rochester 4-3, but the Marlies would flip that around on Saturday in Toronto.

This time it was Travis Boyd who got the two goals, someone you may recall played for the Leafs

And here's number two.

Also adding this one in so everyone knows Ryan Tverberg's nickname is Rhyno.

The goalies for the Marlies were Akhtyamov on Friday and Hildeby on Saturday.

Saturday's game started with the Marlies looking totally lost, with the few moves into the offensive zone having cross-ice passes almost always intercepted into a turnover and leading to the Amerks getting good scoring chances. Boyd noted "we were getting into the o-zone and just throwing a lot of things and hoping plays would work out," it wound up with a ridiculously lopsided 17-5 SOG in favour of the Amerks in the first period, and there were no penalties called at that point so it was all 5-on-5.

But by the second period, the Marlies had turned the game completely around and finally got things going both defending and attacking, but the key to the success in the game was Dennis Hildeby coming in big, quite literally, in the net when the Marlies were working out the flaws in their game plans.

Gruden praised Hildeby and the skill improvement he has seen with him over the previous two seasons, saying the key change was "Composure. I think he looks very comfortable in net, it comes over time and experience. He looked poised. Sometimes when Dennis got in trouble early he looked a little busy in net, but I think he's quieted his game down and I like his rebound control and his consistency."

The Marlies next game is against the Senators on Saturday in Belleville. Then they will be back at home in Toronto on Sunday afternoon to face the Utica Comets.

Here's your game highlights.

Toronto Marlies