GTD #2: Heat vs. Rivermen, Round 2

[Freeway]

ABBOTSFORD HEAT (1-0-0-0) vs. PEORIA RIVERMEN (0-1-0-0)

Game-Time: 7pm PT / 8pm MT
TV: AHL Live (subscription required)
Radio: TeamRadio.ca and Sirius/XM

One night removed from the first contest of the 2012-13 AHL season, the Heat and the Peoria Rivermen do battle once more!

A handful of Flame hopefuls looked good in the opening-night 4-1 win (including Lance Bouma, Roman Horak, Max Reinhart and Sven Baertschi). But the real star was goaltender Danny Taylor, who stopped all but one Peoria shooter en route to his first win of the year.

Will Taylor start on the second of back-to-back nights? Or will Barry Brust or Leland Irving (who sat in the press box on Friday) factor in? The Heat may be without Akim Aliu, who was assessed a game misconduct for abuse of officials at the end of Friday night's contest.

Abbotsford Roster:
G: Barry Brust, Leland Irving & Danny Taylor
D: Chris Breen, T.J. Brodie, Joe Callahan, Brady Lamb, Steve McCarthy, Zach McKelvie & Joe Piskula
F: Akim Aliu, Sven Baertschi, Carter Bancks, Lance Bouma, Paul Byron (injured), David Eddy, Adam Estoclet, Michael Ferland, Roman Horak, Krys Kolanos, Quintin Laing, Greg Nemisz (injured), Brett Olson, Max Reinhart, Tyler Ruegsegger, Ben Street, Dustin Sylvester & Ben Walter
Keep An Eye On: Ben Street, who earned third star honours for his very effective two-way play, including a lengthy stretch on the ice during a 5-on-3 disadvantage in the first period.

Peoria Roster:
G: Jake Allen & Mike McKenna
D: Taylor Chorney, Ian Cole, Mark Cundari, Cade Fairchild, Scott Ford, Brett Ponich, Brett Regner & David Shields
F: Sergei Andronov, Jay Barriball, Chris Bruton, Adam Cracknell, Stefan Della Rovere, Evgeny Grachev, T.J. Hensick, Phil McRae, Andrew Murray, Derek Nesbitt, Anthony Nigro, Trevor Nill, Anthony Peluso, Jaden Schwartz & Sebastian Wannstrom
Keep An Eye On: Anthony Peluso, who had the lone Peoria goal in the opening night affair.

Elsewhere...
-The ECHL's Utah Grizzlies (the affiliate of the Heat) take on the Idaho Steelheads in the second of back-to-back meetings. The Grizzlies won on Friday by a 5-3 score.
-The Boston College Eagles begin their defense of their NCAA national championship against Northeastern University.
-The Providence College Friars (1-0-0) take on the Boston University Terriers. Mark Jankowski had two goals and Jon Gillies made 14 saves for the win in the club's 8-2 opening night triumph over Sacred Heart on Friday.
-In the WHL, Red Deer (Turner Elson), Swift Current (Coda Gordon), Vancouver (Brett Kulak) and Portland (Tyler Wotherspoon) are in action.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

I wonder if Peoria sort of took the Heat for granted at the start of the game. They might've figured that since the Heat didn't play any pre-season games that maybe they'd be rusty.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

It's not the wins or losses, the goals for or the goals against, that define a team.

It's how they respond to them.

Let's see what these two teams are made of

[Oliwa]

Excited about tonight's game. Hopefully the heat can pick up where they left off. I liked Taylor but I hope they put Brust in, I'm interested in what he can do.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Pierre "Monster" McGuire

I wonder if Peoria sort of took the Heat for granted at the start of the game. They might've figured that since the Heat didn't play any pre-season games that maybe they'd be rusty.

I thought Peoria dominated the first period, although power plays had alot to do with it

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Scratches tonight: Ferland, Eddy, Callahan, Irving, Estoclet.

[Freeway]

Originally Posted by Pierre "Monster" McGuire

Scratches tonight: Ferland, Eddy, Callahan, Irving, Estoclet.

Conversely, dressed for tonight:

G: Barry Brust & Danny Taylor
D: Chris Breen, T.J. Brodie, Brady Lamb, Steve McCarthy, Zach McKelvie & Joe Piskula
F: Akim Aliu, Sven Baertschi, Carter Bancks, Lance Bouma, Roman Horak, Krys Kolanos, Quintin Laing, Brett Olson, Max Reinhart, Tyler Ruegsegger, Ben Street, Dustin Sylvester & Ben Walter

That's 13 forwards, so probably one other body has to come out.

[Nemisz/Breen]

According to Pinder, Aliu is out.

[Ashasx]

Bouma!

[Miniac]

Goal Bouma!

[StrykerSteve]

Any ways to watch this game online? PM please.

[Miniac]

Love the way T.J. Brodie is playing.

[Hatter]

I wish AHL Live prices weren't so crazy. Really like to watch this game.

[Savvy27]

Great goal Bouma. Brodie with a fine cross ice pass off his backhand to Street who one touches it in the slot for Bouma.

Baertschi's nerves are gone. He's always around the puck.

[Miniac]

Damn they scored.. 2-1 now

[Ashasx]

Heat not playing so well.

[Miniac]

With three capable goalies on the roster why is Taylor playing a back to back game?

[Savvy27]

Heat get scored against on a bad angle shot that may have gone off something. Andronov sp? Protected the puck well from Brodie and got the puck too the point. Heat were playing well before that, but momentum has shifted it seems. Baertschi and Walter with some chemistry early.

[MikaelBacklund]

Originally Posted by Miniac

With three capable goalies on the roster why is Taylor playing a back to back game?

thats exactly what I was thinking

[Savvy27]

I still like Banks... could see him in a Prust-like role.

Taylor is probably in again as a reward for his 1st star performance.