It didn’t take long for Liam Kirk to make his mark with the Atlanta Gladiators.
Kirk got his feet wet in the ECHL on Thursday evening, putting in a strong effort in a hard-fought 2-1 victory again Savannah Ghost Pirates.
Gladiators fans received a taste of the Liam Kirk we know and love Friday evening.
The Great Britain forward netted twice as Atlanta downed their rivals in the shape of the South Carolina Stingrays.
Kirk is deadly around the net, whether that’s applying a redirect, tip or clearing up the garbage.
His first ECHL goal was essentially a tap-in, but it’s about being in the right place, at the right time.
The second was created by Brandon Schultz, who stole possession in the neutral zone before getting his head up and finding Kirk down the middle of the ice.
Despite playing so few minutes in the previous year, Kirk hasn’t lost his touch.
From just above the hash marks, the Maltby native ripped a shot past the glove of Tyler Wall.
Kirk has been lining up with Kaid Oliver and Sang Hoon Shin in his two starts to date.
However, lines are fluid in the ECHL with teams only dressing ten or eleven forwards depending on the make-up of the roster.
What this ensures is more ice time to go around, exactly what Liam Kirk requires. He’ll doubtless be logging huge minutes once in full flow.
The rest of the ECHL had better watch out.
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