After two games, it seemed like the Stockton Heat might soon become sick of playing against the Toronto Marlies.
Now, with three more head-to-head matchups in the books, that narrative looks to have firmly swung in the opposite direction.
The Marlies outscored the Heat by a 12-2 margin in Stockton’s first two games of the 2020-21 season. Since then, the Heat have bested Toronto by 4-2, 8-1, and 5-1 scores, mixing in a commanding 4-1 decision over the Belleville Senators along the way.
The hunted have now become hunters. Stockton’s big guns are on a world-beating tear at the moment, with top-line centre Adam Ruzicka having amassed 12 points over his last four games and winger Matthew Phillips contributing nine points in those outings.