Stockton Heat 21/22 General Discussion

[Reggie Dunlop]

Great to see Zary find his game. He doesn't have the explosive talent of, say a Jakob Pelletier, but he could still become a solid NHLer.

[SeanCharles]

Nice to see Zary contributing more.

[Cheese]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1510784894963572736

https://twitter.com/user/status/1510678521944977416

https://twitter.com/user/status/1510633226112421890

[the-rasta-masta]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Great to see Zary find his game. He doesn't have the explosive talent of, say a Jakob Pelletier, but he could still become a solid NHLer.

I'd always describe Zary as the more talented player in most aspects. Where Pelletier separates is his IQ and motor. It will be interesting to see how Zary progresses with a bigger and more offensive role next year, I think people will be surprised.

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by the-rasta-masta

I'd always describe Zary as the more talented player in most aspects. Where Pelletier separates is his IQ and motor. It will be interesting to see how Zary progresses with a bigger and more offensive role next year, I think people will be surprised.

I agree.

I think Zary has the higher ceiling out of the two. He is younger and is coming back from a tough injury.

I think he is starting to get his groove back and should see more icetime with Ruzicka being recalled.

Still have high hopes of him turning into a top 6 C.

[Cheese]

Heat's next game


Game 59 Fri, Apr. 8 7:00 p.m. Ontario Green Night

[Cheese]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1511712835755294728

[getbak]

Clear the track, the Koletrane is coming through...

https://twitter.com/user/status/1511781218827743233

[Cheese]

COMING FOR THE CROWN



If last week was about handling business, this week is about finishing it.


But now it’s time to turn the page, a 68-game season boiling down to the final 10 and most immediately a chance to take two important steps toward grabbing the Pacific Division crown. It’ll be first-place Stockton and second-place Ontario, a Friday-Sunday home-and-home where the Heat can put the division nearly mathematically out of reach or the Reign can make it a real race once again.
“We’ve talked about having a playoff mindset around here, a playoff mentality and good team play essentially since we clinched a playoff position,” said head coach Mitch Love. “Doing the right things for team success. That’s team play, individual play. We want to be playing our best hockey going into the playoffs, then elevating another level then, too.


The Heat have occupied the top spot in the Pacific, and in the AHL for that matter, for months, so they’re used to wearing the target on their back. That gets magnified this weekend with the all-important divisional championship essentially on the line. Where we stand coming into the two-game set has Stockton in the driver’s seat with some margin for error, not to say that’s something they want to lean on.
The Heat are seven points up with 10 games to go and a game in hand against the Reign, who dropped a pair over the weekend against the Colorado Eagles. Stockton has a record of 7-3-0-0 in the past 10. Ontario has stumbled into this twin bill with a 3-5-2-0 mark in that span.

[Cheese]

HEAT TAKE FRONT END OF WEEKEND SET WITH REIGN, 3-2



The Stockton Heat (42-12-4-1) earned their team-record 23rd home win of the season, taking the extra point in a 3-2 shootout victory over the Ontario Reign (36-15-5-4) Friday night at Stockton Arena. Matthew Phillips started the scoring 7:12 into the action, setting another team record with his 28th marker of the campaign, the most by a Flames farm hand since 2013-14. Ontario answered back before the end of the opening frame, Frederic Allard pulling the Reign even in the final minute before the break for a 1-1 score.
Emilio Pettersen then gave the Heat the edge once again near the midway point of the second, a puck redirecting off the forward and into the net at the 9:31 mark of the middle frame. Thomas Hickey responded for the visitors, evening the game yet again with 3:33 to go in the period.
The teams then played to a scoreless draw in the third and the five-minute overtime set to push the game to a shootout, when Justin Kirkland and Phillips each found the back of the net and Dustin Wolf slammed the door with a two-for-two performance on the other end to seal the win.


NOTABLE

• Matthew Phillips’ power play goal to start the scoring was his 28th marker of the season, a Stockton Heat record. It’s the first time a Flames farmhand has lit the lamp 28 times in a campaign since Ben Street of the Abbotsford Heat in 2013-14. He now owns team records for most career points, most career goals, most single-season points and most single-season goals.
• Byron Froese reached the 30-point mark on the season with an assist on Phillips’ goal. He’s the seventh Stockton skater to reach 30 points this season.
• Emilio Pettersen became the 10th Heat skater to reach double-digit goals for the season with his score in the second.

SPECIAL TEAMS
STK PP – 1-for-5
STK PK – 2-for-2
THREE STARS
First – Dustin Wolf (24 svs)
Second – Matthew Phillips (1g)
Third – Emilio Pettersen (1g)
GOALIES
W – Dustin Wolf (24 saves on 26 shots faced, 2 stops on 2 shootout attempts)
SOL – Matthew Villalta (35 saves on 37 shots faced, 0 stops on 2 shootout attempts)

[Cheese]

MORNING SKATE: HEAT, REIGN CAP REGULAR SEASON SERIES SUNDAY

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: Stockton Heat (42-12-4-1; 1st Pacific) vs. Ontario Reign (36-15-5-4; 2nd Pacific)
LOCATION: Toyota Arena | Ontario, California
TIME: 3:00 p.m. PDT

HEAT INDEX
A big weekend at the top of the Pacific Division started in dramatic fashion on Friday, a 3-2 shootout win for the Stockton Heat over the Ontario Reign.

PHILL-ING THE RECORD BOOK
Matthew Phillips etched his name next to yet another Stockton Heat high-mark on Friday, his power play strike in the first being a team-record 28th of the season. He’s the first Flames farmhand since Ben Street of the Abbotsford Heat in 2013-14 to reach 28 markers in a campaign.

WOLF ON THE HUNT
With his 32nd win of the season, Dustin Wolf joined Alex Nedeljkovic (2018-19) as the only AHL netminders to earn 32 or more victories in a season in the last five years.

SLIM MARGINS
The shootout win for the Heat on Friday was their second over the Reign this season and third victory over Ontario that has gone past the 60 minutes of regulation.

NEARING 90
A point in Sunday’s game would push the Heat to the 90-point mark on the year, the first Pacific Division team to reach 90 since the Tucson Roadrunners (68 games played) and Texas Stars (72 games played) in 2017-18.

5 THINGS: HEAT at ONT, 4.10.22

Leading Scorers
Heat:
Goals – Matthew Phillips (28)
Points – Matthew Phillips (62)
Ontario Reign:
Goals – Martin Frk (33)
Points – T.J. Tynan (86)
Special Teams
Heat:
PP – 47-for-239, 19.7% (t-12th)/PK – 222-for-254, 87.4% (1st)
Reign:
PP – 62-for-234, 26.5% (1st)/PK – 178-for-236, 75.4% (29th)


It’s there for the taking now. The Stockton Heat can put a stranglehold on the divisional race with another win Sunday at Ontario


PLAYERS TO WATCH
Heat – Luke Philp
After being held off the score sheet in Friday’s game, Philp now has six points in seven games against Ontario this season. The every-situation forward plays a key role in this series, helping the Heat limit the impact of the Reign’s potent power play.


MILESTONES WITHIN REACH

• Glenn Gawdin is one assist shy of 100 in his AHL career.
• Jakob Pelletier is one point shy of sole possession of the Heat’s rookie season scoring record and two goals shy of tying Stockton’s single-season goal record, held by Matthew Phillips.
• Luke Philp is two goals shy of 50 in his AHL career.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Valimaki and Ruzicka both returned to Stockton, as per AHL Transactions page.

[Cheese]

Heat lose 6-5 in shoot out after leading 3-0 and 5-4 late in the third.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Wolf let in six goals.

[Cheese]

HEAT EARN POINT, SPLIT WEEKEND SET AGAINST ONTARIO

The Stockton Heat (42-12-4-2) raced out to a 3-0 lead Sunday but could not hold on as the Ontario Reign (37-15-5-4) rallied for to take the final regular season meeting between the clubs by a 6-5 final score in a shootout Sunday. By earning a point, the Heat became the sixth-ever Pacific Division team to reach 90 points in a season and are the fastest to ever reach that mark, needing three fewer games than the previous best of 63 games set by San Jose in 2016-17.
Justin Kirkland and Luke Philp led the Heat on the offensive end in a wild contest, the former notching a pair of goals and the latter recording a career-best three assists in the contest. Martin Pospisil also added a multi-point effort of his own with two helpers.


A busy third period saw the teams combine for six goals, Stockton’s pair coming from Connor Zary and Justin Kirkland, each putting the Heat ahead after Ontario had rallied to tie the game at 3-3 and 4-4. Akil Thomas, Martin Frk and Taylor Ward were the goal scorers for the home team in the final frame of regulation.
After a scoreless overtime period, the game went to a shootout – the third straight meeting between Stockton and Ontario that has required the skill competition.



NOTABLE

• Walker Duehr netted his 10th goal of the season to open the scoring, the 11th Heat skater to reach double digits in the goal column this season.
• Nick DeSimone pushed Stockton’s lead to 2-0 with his third goal of the season, his first marker of the season against the Reign.
• Justin Kirkland posted his third multi-goal game of the season. Stockton is now 6-2-0-1 on the year when he has a multi-point effort.
• Luke Philp finished the game with a season-high three points on the night, all assists. It’s his second career three-point game and first since November 11, 2019, when he scored twice and added one helper against San Diego.

SPECIAL TEAMS
STK PP – 1-for-5
STK PK – 3-for-4
THREE STARS
First – Taylor Ward (1g,1a)
Second – Austin Wager (1g,1a)
Third – Samuel Fagemo (1g)
GOALIES
W – Matthew Villalta (35 saves on 40 shots faced, 2 saves on 3 shootout attempts)
SOL – Dustin Wolf (28 saves on 33 shots faced, 1 save on 3 shootout attempts)

[Cheese]

Heats next game vs the Silver Knights and 8 games to go in the season:
3 games in Henderson Wed, Friday and Saturday



Game 61 Wed, Apr. 13 7:00 p.m. @ Henderson

[Cheese]

[getbak]

Magic number to clinch the Division and a bye in the first round (3 game play-in round) is 4 (8 points gained by the Heat or lost by the Reign).

Calculating the magic number to clinch first overall hurts my brain, so I don't know what it is.

[Cheese]

Wolf's new lid!

https://twitter.com/AHLHeat/status/1...PND-Eu2DQ&s=19

[Tkachukwagon]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1513638024482983936