TORONTO – The last time these two met was a late February 2020 bout, which resulted in Cayden Primeau holding down the fort for Laval in a 2-1 victory. Their last meeting was their sixth of the 2019-20 season, and the final result was a 3-3 series. Separated by a long stretch of the Ontario 401 and 550 KM (341 MI), the Marlies and Rocket are set to square off at Cola-Cola Coliseum on Friday at 7:00 pm EST.
Though the season series was split last season, dating back five seasons, the Marlies have dominated the series against the two, running a 21-7 record, dating back to Laval’s time in St. John’s.
| Laval Rocket | Toronto Marlies | |
| Canadian Divison Standings | 2nd – 13pts | 3rd – 12pts |
| Overall AHL Standings (Win %) | 9th – 65% | 17th – 50% |
| Overall Record | 6-3-1 | 6-6-0 |
| Last 10 Games | 6-3-1 | 4-6-0 |
| Home/Road Record | Road: 1-1-0 | Home: 2-2-0 |
| Goals Against Average | 2.30 | 3.08 |
| Goals For Average | 2.90 | 3.25 |
| Power Play Record | 14.29% (20th in AHL) | 17.95% (14th in AHL) |
| Leading Scorer (Points) | Lukas Vejdemo – 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists) | Tyler Gaudet – 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) |
Who to Watch?
One thing to watch for the Marlies is Andrew D’Agostini, who is expected to start for his 13th consecutive start for Toronto. So far this season, D’Agostini has undergone grueling back-to-backs and long games, resulting in a 0.892 SVS% and a 3.06 GAA. If the Laval Rocket can find a way to wear out D’Agostini in the first game, it may leave a wide enough gash for the Rocket to continue the bleed into Sunday’s contest in Laval.
Meanwhile, for Laval, they’ve been an all-around team over the first 10 games of the season, but in their previous game against Belleville, Lukas Vejdemo was able to shine. His offensive forecheck is unparalleled in the Canadian division and something to look out for if you’re the Marlies defence. Vejdemo leads the team in points with eight points (four goals, four assists) so far this season.
Galchenyuk Faces Former Organization
Drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 2012, Alex Galchenyuk didn’t play in the AHL until recently but is set to face their AHL affiliate for the first time. Galchenyuk played north of 400 games with the organization before being traded for Max Domi in 2018. So far this season, Galchenyuk has four points (one goal, three assists) through four games with Toronto. The Milwaukee native is expected to start on the first line for Toronto.
Continued Coverage
The Sin Bin will have full coverage of their two-game set both tonight and Sunday night. I’ll have continued Twitter coverage of Friday night’s game, with live Twitter updates @SinBinMarlies. Meanwhile, Deanna McFeron will have the latest on Sunday’s tilt in Montreal. Both games can be seen on AHL TV.
