On Friday and Saturday night, the St. John’s IceCaps will play host to the Toronto Marlies at Mile One Centre in St. John’s.
It’s the first meeting between the two sides this year, although the players will be familiar with each other from the three-game preseason-tour the teams did across Newfoundland.
There are many intriguing story lines coming into this series. The Marlies have history in St. John’s, as they were the original AHL franchise in the city (St. John’s Maple Leafs) until relocating to Toronto.
The match will also see plenty of top prospects, from both organizations, playing against their bitter rivals for the first time in their professional careers. With the teams set to meet 12 times through out the season, both teams will be looking to set the tone for future match-ups. The Marlies currently sit atop the North Division with 20 points, with the IceCaps trailing not far behind with 16.
Toronto has been off to a hot start, with a record of 10-3-0-0 to begin the season. The Marlies are loaded with high-end offensive talent, including former first-round picks William Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen and Frederik Gauthier.
Also on the Marlies roster are; high-scoring defenseman T.J. Brennan, and reigning AHL rookie scoring champion, Connor Brown.
Last week’s AHL Player Of The Week was Marlies goaltender Garret Sparkes, who has been a big part in the teams now five game winning streak.
The IceCaps couldn’t be happier to be back on home ice. They will be looking to get back to winning ways following a tough road trip, which saw them get only two wins from six games. But there is some good news.
Rookie Michael McCarron is riding a three-game point streak, as is sophomore Daniel Carr. Bud Holloway, the veteran of the team, is currently tied for second in the AHL with 15 points.
On the injury side, St. John’s is set to welcome Nikita Scherbak back to the lineup. The rookie forward has missed the last six games after blocking a shot on October 25th.
Top Scorers
Toronto Marlies
- William Nylander 7G, 7A, 14 PTS,
- T.J. Brennan 5G, 7A, 12 PTS,
- Josh Leivo 3G, 7A,10 PTS
St. John’s IceCaps
- STJ: Bud Holloway 4G, 11A, 15 PTS,
- Daniel Carr 5G, 7A, 12 PTS,
- Michael McCarron 6G, 5A, 11 PTS/
Records
TOR: 10-3-0-0, 1st North Division
STJ: 7-5-1-1, 2nd North Division
