If there was one team I wish the Amerks didn’t have to play against again this season it would be the Toronto Marlies. The Amerks were out played again on Friday night and defeated by the final score of 4-2.
The Amerks scored first when Drew Larman shot the puck from the side boards, was redirected by David Brine, and then Mike Duco was able to put it in the net at the goal mouth. Larman did a great job getting the puck at the net which allowed Brine and Duco to finish the play. Unfortunately the Marlies answered back 11 seconds later with a goal to tie the game.
When you’re playing a team working hard to finish out the season for the playoffs you can’t afford to make any bad plays. That’s exactly what happened and the Marlies got a goal out of it.
The Marlies ended the first period with a 2-1 lead off a power play goal by Bates Battaglia. Jiri Tlusty took the puck down low beating Gelech and passed the puck perfectly across the ice to Battaglia who was left all alone to easily put the puck past Brodeur. The Marlies have one of the best power plays in the league and it showed against one of the worst penalty killing teams.
The other highlight of the first period was Riley Emmerson and Jay Rosehill dropping the gloves earlier in the period.
The Marlies scored again in the second period to take a 3-1 lead. That’s all I have to say about that.
Karl Stewart scored his 16th goal of the season off a sweet behind the back pass by Michal Repik. The play started with Keaton Ellerby clearing the puck up the ice to Repik. Repik took the puck along the boards, did a spin-o-rama (his words), saw Stewart heading to the net and dropped the puck perfectly on the stick of Stewart who beat Justin Poge to get the Amerks within a goal.
The Amerks continued hard in the third but the Marlies were just too good at their own blue line.
Alex Foster put the icing on the cake with an empty net goal with 46 seconds left in the game.
Will try and follow up Saturday afternoon with some quotes from after the game.
The Amerks head to Syracuse on Saturday night to play the Crunch, they’ll and return back at home on Sunday to face off against the Hamilton Bulldogs.
