4-0 Week Capped off with a sweep of the Toronto Marlies

February 14, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Heat News Release


ABBOTSFORD BC - For most AHL teams, seven games over nine nights may spell disaster. For the Abbotsford Heat, it meant posting a 5-2 record in the busiest span of their season, including a perfect 4-0 record over the past seven days.

The Heat (27-22-2-5) used their hot week of play to climb the ladder in the North Division standings. Last Monday, the Heat were in 5th place, today, they are now in a tie for 2nd with the reigning division champions, the slumping Hamilton Bulldogs, and are just 3 points back of the Manitoba Moose for the division lead.

THE WEEK THAT WAS:

Tuesday - The Abbotsford Heat scored three goals in the opening 10:21 of the first period and cruised to a 4-3 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. The score flattered the home side as the Heat controlled the play and the chance in the Steel City for the bulk of the evening. Abbotsford's Ryan Stone, Jon Rheault, John Armstrong and Bryan Cameron scored in the victory. Leland Irving picked up the win, turning aside 21 shots.

Wednesday - The Heat wrapped up their 10 game road trip in Rochester against the Americans with a 1-0 victory over last year's playoff foes. It marked the second time this season that the Heat walked in to the Blue Cross Arena and walked away with a 1-0 win. Aldergrove's Matt Keith would score the only goal of the game, while Leland Irving turned aside all 30 shots in the shutout win, his fourth goose egg of the season.

Friday - The Heat returned home after nearly a month and played the Toronto Marlies in a key divisional series. Abbotsford drew first blood in the two game set, as Ryan Stone turned the natural hat trick, scoring the last three goals in a Heat 4-1 victory. Gord Baldwin scored his first goal of the campaign to open the scoring for Abbotsford, while Leland Irving continued his hot week, stopping 27 of 28 shots.

Saturday - Clinical could best describe the closing game of the week for the Heat. Great goaltending, timely goals and sixty minutes of hard work allowed the Heat to dominate the Marlies 3-0 and sweep the week with a 4-0 record and take both games from the Marlies. Chris Breen, Cam Cunning and Stefan Meyer would score a goal in each period to pace the Heat offensively. Leland Irving would finish his week in style, scoring his second shutout of the week in turning aside 26 Toronto shots.

HEAT NOTES:

IRVING NOT SWERVING - Heat goalie Leland Irving turned this week into a statement week for his season. The Swan Hills, AB product picked up a 4-0 record over the past seven days, including two shutouts. In this span of games, Irving stopped 104 of 108 shots, posted a 1.00 GAA and a .964 save percentage.

Irving leads the AHL in many categories, but as Heat Head Coach Jim Playfair points out, it is the win column that matters the most. 24 wins on the season leads the league. Nine wins in the shootout leads as well. Irving has a personal record in the shootout this season of 9-2. Overall, Irving is in the conversation in every goaltending category in the AHL: Wins-24 (1st), Goals against average-2.30 (10th), Save percentage-.912 (18th), Shutouts-5 (t-2nd), Games-46 (1st), Minutes-2620 (1st), Shootout wins-9 (1st), Saves-1149 (2nd). Irving's nine shootout wins in a single season has set an AHL record for the most in one season. Irving was nominated for the REEBOK AHL Player of the Week award this past week, but lost out to Aldergrove's Brad Thiessen, who tends goal for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins.

STONE IS ROLLING - Lost in the Leland Irving story this week is the play of Ryan Stone. Stone, a Calgary resident, signed with the Flames in the off season after a season with the Edmonton Oilers. With Edmonton, Stone suffered a horrific knee injury which didn't allow the centre to play until mid-December. Stone scored four goals this past week, helping the Heat to a 4-0 record. Stone also scored the first `natural' hat trick in Heat history on Friday night over Toronto, scoring the last three goals of the game.

JOLTIN' JOE - As flashy rookie TJ Brodie twists and turns all over the ice, his d-partner, Joe Piskula has allowed the Heat rookie the opportunity to freelance by bringing a defensive stability to the pair. Piskula leads the Heat with a +7 rating and along with Brodie are combined for a +13 rating this season.

KOTALIK DISHES - Heat forward Ales Kotalik opened up his tenure in Abbotsford with six assists over his first seven games in Abbotsford. Head Coach Jim Playfair has deployed Kotalik on the point of the Heat power play and Kotalik has taken 37 shots in his first seven appearances for Abbotsford...including 10 shots in a game versus the Rockford Ice Hogs back on February 5th.

THIS WEEK:

Friday - The Abbotsford Heat will play a home game in Calgary versus the Oklahoma City Barons (Edmonton Oilers affiliate). This will mark the first meeting between the Barons and Heat this season and first of four games over the next month. The Barons are currently in the thick of the West Division playoff race, but despite their great record (28-19-2-5), the Barons are currently one point out of a playoff berth, yet just five points back of the division lead.

Saturday: The Barons and Heat will wing their way to Abbotsford to finish off their weekend double header. Game time at the AESC will be at 7 PM.

All of the Heat action can be heard on Country 107.1 FM. Dave Sheldon has the call of every game. For road games, the pregame show will get things started 15 minutes before faceoff, while at home Dave and Craig MacEwen of Roger's Sportsnet will get the Diamond Bar Equipment Pregame Show underway thirty minutes prior to puck drop.

Please note that Friday's game is a home game. The pregame show can be heard at 5:30 PM on Country 107.1 FMpuck drop will take place at 6 PM.



American Hockey League Stories from February 14, 2011


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