The Marlies in Scotland: Marlies 6-1 Locals

Editor's Note: Our sauntering Scottish correspondent article1 returns with more pictures and a recap of the Toronto Marlies encounter with the Edinburgh Capitals. 

I think this is what most people expected. The Marlies were obviously a better team from the moment they stepped on the ice for the warm-up. Both the Marlies and the Bulldogs were clearly bigger, stronger and better skaters than the two British teams they played against this afternoon. The Diet Habs won 7-0 against the Belfast Giants, meaning they'll be playing the Marlies again tomorrow after they put 6 past the Edinburgh Capitals.

So while the game may have been nothing more than a run-out for them. There are some things that do need work. The Marlies power play has been poor through two games. They went 0-4 on Thursday night and 0-lots today. The  Marlies drew penalities regularly throughout the game - the players were so much stronger and faster than the Capitals that eventually the Capitals players would commit hooking and holding penalties just to keep them back. The trouble is, the power-play doesn't really get pucks on net. It spends too much time trying to walk in on goal instead of trying to set up a one-timer from the point. They failed to score 5-on-3, too. Just like the big club does.

Ben Ondrus continued to wear the 'C', nobody has an 'A' on their jersey. Phil Oreskovic - who I'd have thought would be wearing an 'A' - is a man far larger than I had imagined. He's also grown his hair out and is rocking a hobo beard. I have to say it's not a bad look for him at all. Far from it.

Mikhail Stefanovich continues to play poorly. He seemed to get a bit more into it in the third, wristed a shot off the post and had another decent-ish chance. He looks frustrated - he banged his stick off the boards at the end of one shift. I could see him going back to junior as an overager.

Erickson started in net. Looked alright. The Capitals were able to get some decent chances against him - a couple of breakways, one of which Simon Lambert scored from. It wasn't a great shot, but squeezed between his arm and body. I'm pretty sure he's the spare wheel. Reimer will stay with them and platoon with whoever's sent down.

Andre Deveaux is another gentleman of considerable height and weight. He also had a goal and 2 assists, which is probably the best line of his professional career. To commemorate the event, here's your souvenir Marlies goal summary:

1. Alex Berry from Oreskovic. Slap shot from the point that was deflected over the goalie's shoulder.

2. Deveaux from Ryan Hamilton and Oreskovic. Brutal line change from the Capitals. Oreskovic snapped a long pass to Hamilton on the Capitals blue line, springing a 2-on-0 break. Deveaux has the easiest goal in the history of hockey.

3. Ondrus from Hamilton. An Edinburgh turnover at the blue line, Hamilton played Ondrus in who lifted a nice wrist shot top shelf from just above the hash marks.

4. Alex Foster from Deveaux and Hamilton. 3-on-1 break. Some nice one-touch passing gave Foster a tap-in while the sole Capitals defenceman got lost in the headlights.

5. Foster from Deveaux and Joe Ryan. Drop pass from Deveaux (bet you never thought you'd hear that) give Foster the time and space to put his own rebound away.

6. Dale Mitchell from... Well, they gave out assists on this, but they probably shouldn't have. Mitchell picked up the puck after a face-off in the Marlies zone, blew through the neutral zone, between the defencemen and turned it into a breakaway. A mixture of superior talent, ability and the result of the Marlies rolling four lines of forwards and the Capitals three.

More bad photos tomorrow!