In the first two of a four-game series, the Toronto Marlies have claimed victories in a dominating way against the Stockton Heat.
The Toronto Marlies entered the four-game stretch against the Stockton Heat with a 2-2-0 record after splitting their opening four games against the Manitoba Moose, and have stepped up in a significant way against the Calgary Flames affiliates.
The Marlies roster has seen some changes since last season, with the most notable being between the pipes with Joseph Woll currently with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ taxi squad and Ian Scott once again suffering a disappointing injury.
Despit this change, the Marlies have outscored the Heat over the first two games 12 goals to two, with former ECHL goaltender Andrew D’Agostini holding down the number one spot in a convincing way.
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After back-to-back losses against the Moose, the Marlies have found another gear and have been making short work of the Heat, claiming 7-1 and 5-1 victories to improve their record to 4-2-0 in their opening six games.
D’Agostini has been a solid presence in net, with a 1.86 goals against average and a save percentage of .933, a surprise after much of his career prior to this season had been spent in the ECHL or below.
The 27-year-old former Peterborough Petes goaltender has had plenty of help in front of him, with a number of his defensemen have NHL experience, with the likes of Timothy Liljegren and Calle Rosen leading the way.
That kind of experience and quality at the AHL level helps a team compete every game and has allowed for an expansive, offensive style that has racked up a division-leading 24 goals so far, six more than the Laval Rocket.
Another player that has benefitted from these strong performances has been AHL veteran Tyler Gaudet, who has already scored four goals and registered seven total points in the Marlies’ opening games.
This is arguably the best stretch of Gaudet’s AHL career, with a career-high 25 points with the Milwaukee Admirals two seasons ago, and four of those points (2G, 2A) have come in these opening two games against the Heat.
The Toronto Marlies have had a number of different scorers against the Heat, with all seven goals in their first game coming from seven different players, showing the quality of depth they have at their disposal.
If the Marlies hope to win the all-Canadian division and work towards winning their second Calder Cup championship, making the next two games against the Heat count will be a positive early start and will give the players plenty of confidence moving forward.