5 THINGS: HEAT vs. COL, 3.30.22
STOCKTON HEAT (39-11-4-1) vs COLORADO EAGLES (32-19-4-3)
6:30 p.m. PDT | Broadcast: AHLTV, Fox Sports 1280, Spreaker
Leading Scorers
Heat:
Goals – Jakob Pelletier (26)
Points – Matthew Phillips (58)
Colorado Eagles:
Goals – Kiefer Sherwood (28)
Points – Kiefer Sherwood (57)
Special Teams
Heat:
PP – 43-for-223, 19.3% (15th)/PK – 206-for-237, 86.9% (1st)
Eagles:
PP – 47-for-235, 18.6% (23rd)/PK – 176-for-224, 78.6% (24th)
1. HEAT INDEX
The Stockton Heat and Colorado Eagles wrap their regular season series on Wednesday, a matchup of two of the top three teams in the AHL’s Pacific Division. The Heat enter the game winners of four straight and nine of the past 11, poised to face off against an Eagles club that has a 6-3-0-1 record in its last 10 after back-to-back wins. It’s the final regular season meeting between the Pacific foes, with the Heat winning five of the first seven.
2. THIS, THAT, THE OTHER
THIS… Jakob Pelletier sits on the ledge of a pair of Heat team records, one point back of Mark Jankowski’s Stockton rookie scoring record of 56 points and one goal back of matching a trio of players who netted 27 goals in a single season. With 13 games to go, it seems a near-lock that Pelletier will etch his name for both records, but a matchup with Colorado – a club against which he has 10 points and five goals in seven games – seems a fitting time to seal the deal(s). THAT… The top PK in the AHL has been a rank held by Stockton for some time now, but recently the team has become even more dangerous with shorthanded goals in three of the last four contests. The Heat lead the AHL with 13 goals on the year while down a skater and are 10-0-1-0 in games this season when the PK lights the lamp. Stockton has two SHG against Colorado in seven games, Luke Philp scoring shorthanded on December 18 and Jakob Pelletier most recently on March 19. THE OTHER… Off the schneid, Glenn Gawdin will not look to keep offensive momentum after snapping a two-month goal drought on Sunday, a shorthanded marker. Despite that being his first goal since January 15, Gawdin had amassed 16 assists in that span. He now sits just two points back of his career high for points in a season of 47, set in his all-star 2019-20 campaign. Wednesday’s game will be his 53rd of the year, matching his 19-20 total.
3. PLAYERS TO WATCH
Heat – Jakob Pelletier
See: This.
Eagles – Andreas Wingerli
Wingerli is at a point per game against the Heat with seven points and three goals in seven meetings on the year to pace the Colorado attack. Stockton seems to be his opponent of choice as the Heat have accounted for more than a third of his 20 points this season.
4. MILESTONES WITHIN REACH
- Glenn Gawdin is one assist shy of 100 in his AHL career.
- Jakob Pelletier is one point shy of tying Stockton’s single-season rookie scoring record and one goal shy of tying Stockton’s single-season goal record.
- Justin Kirkland is one goal shy of 50 in his AHL career.
- Luke Philp is two goals shy of 50 in his AHL career.
5. QUOTABLE
“Right now we’re a group that’s trying to play a playoff brand game of hockey with 13 games left here (in the regular season). When you get a chance in the second season, you’re not able to just turn it on like a light switch. You have to be playing and having the mindset as an athlete of playing your best hockey heading into the playoffs. That’s what we’re striving for as a group.” – Mitch Love on the team mindset heading into the week