CALGARY, AB – The Stockton Heat (2-2-0-0) started fast and poured it on in the second, led by three-point efforts from Slovakian forwards Adam Ruzicka and Martin Pospisil to an emphatic 8-1 win over the visiting Toronto Marlies (4-4-0-0) in the finale of a season-opening, four-game set.
Seven Heat skaters put up multiple points in the game, with Ruzicka and Mark Simpson each potting a pair of goals, the first of Simpson’s pro career.
Emilio Pettersen got the scoring started with his first goal, assisted by Pospisil and captain Alex Petrovic. After Toronto’s Timothy Liljegren evened the score midway through the frame, the Heat jumped on top with two scores prior to the horn sounding on the opening stanza off the sticks of Simpson and Ruzicka, respectively.
It was in the second period that the Heat took control of the game, beating netminder Andrew D’Agostini five times to snag an 8-1 lead through 40 minutes. Luke Philp netted his second of the season 1:05 into the period, followed by Ruzicka’s second lamp-lighter of the day just 1:16 later. Simpson’s second score followed at the midway point, and Pospisil and Matthew Phillips punctuated the scoring in the middle frame with goals in the latter half.
Neither team found the back of the net in the third period. Goalie Dustin Wolf finished his third pro start with his second win and 26 saves on 27 shots faced.
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