HEAT CLIPPED BY EAGLES WEDNESDAY, 2-1
STOCKTON, Calif. – Justin Kirkland netted his 17th goal of the season and Dustin Wolf turned away 34 of 36 shots faced but the Stockton Heat (39-12-4-1) fell Wednesday by a 2-1 final score against the visiting Colorado Eagles (33-19-4-3) at Stockton Arena.
The Heat scored first, Kirkland’s power play marker at 18:05 of the first breaking the ice with assists from Andy Welinski and Matthew Phillips.
Colorado bounced back early in the second, Callahan Burke finding the back of the net out of a net-front scramble to even the score, and the visitors then jumped ahead in the third as Dylan Sikura netted what proved to the game-winner at 2:34 of the final frame.
Stockton saw an admirable effort from the penalty kill with a 7-for-7 effort down a skater in the contest as the Heat wrapped their regular season series against the Eagles winning five of the eight meetings.
NOTABLE
- Justin Kirkland’s goal was the 50th of his AHL career.
- Andy Welinski notched a point for the second consecutive game after returning to Stockton’s lineup Sunday. He now has a goal and an assist since return from injury.
- The game was Stockton’s third loss of the year when conceding fewer than three goals.
- The Heat are now 28-3-3-0 on the year when scoring first and 21-2-2-1 when leading after a period.
- Stockton finishes the season series against Colorado with a record of 5-3-0-0 and wraps the month of March with a record of 9-3-1-0.
SPECIAL TEAMS
STK PP – 1-for-5
STK PK – 7-for-7
THREE STARS
First – Dylan Sikura (1g)
Second – Callahan Burke (1g)
Third – Justin Kirkland (1g)
GOALIES
W – Hunter Miska (28 saves on 29 shots faced)
L – Dustin Wolf (34 saves on 36 shots faced)
UP NEXT
The Heat face off against the San Jose Barracuda this weekend in a home-and-home, Saturday at Stockton Arena, a 6 p.m. puck drop, and Sunday at the SAP Center at 3 p.m.