5 Things: Heat at Colorado
November 26, 2021 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release
STOCKTON HEAT (10-1-2-0) at COLORADO EAGLES (6-7-0-2)
6:05 p.m. PST | Broadcast: AHLTV, Spreaker
Leading Scorers
Heat:
Goals - Adam Ruzicka (10)
Points - Adam Ruzicka/Jakob Pelletier (16)
Eagles:
Goals - Kiefer Sherwood (7)
Points - Dylan Sikura (15)
Special Teams
Heat:
PP - 12-for-49, 24.5% (2nd)/PK - 44-for-52, 84.6% (t-7th)
Eagles:
PP - 16-for-73, 21.9% (7th)/PK - 41-for-65, 78.5% (23rd)
1. HEAT INDEX
With the team-record, 12-game point streak snapped, the Stockton Heat head to Colorado for a pair against the Eagles. The Heat have had success while facing off against the AHL affiliate of the Avalanche, having won 11 of 15 all-time meetings including a 6-2-0-0 mark in Loveland. The Heat have had some roster turnover since they last hit the ice, swapping first-line center Adam Ruzicka for rookie Walker Duehr, who rejoins the farm team after a three-week stay with the Calgary Flames. Ruzicka had a hat trick in the lone meeting between the teams this season.
2. THIS, THAT, THE OTHER
THIS... With Adam Ruzicka heading to the Calgary Flames, the Heat will look to replace offensive production from a player tied at the top of the team standings. One player who appears to be breaking out is Luke Philp, who has goals in three consecutive games and four points in that span. It's Philp's best scoring burst since his rookie season, when he strung together seven goals in a five-game spring from November 30 through December 14, a stretch that started on the road at Colorado. THAT... The special teams battle has favored the Heat of late, with Stockton lighting the lamp in five of the last six games and holding opponents to 3-for-25 in that span. Friday's tilt features the AHL's seventh-ranked power play in Colorado against the seventh-best penalty kill, belonging to the Heat. Stockton enters the game ranked second on the man-advantage while the Eagles are 23rd when down a man. THE OTHER... Glenn Gawdin seems to like seeing the Eagles on the other end of the ice, having dominated Colorado in the offensive zone in 15 games against the Eagles. In this matchup, Gawdin has run up 14 points and five goals, including a two-assist outing when the teams met earlier this season.
3. PLAYERS TO WATCH
Heat - Glenn Gawdin
See: The Other.
Eagles - Justus Annunen
Annunen has had a heavy workload of late for the Eagles, starting each of the past four games. The netminder stopped 13 of 14 shots in relief in the teams' first meeting after Stockton put four pucks past Hunter Miska to start the game last month.
4. MILESTONES WITHIN REACH
Kevin Gravel is one goal shy of 20 in his AHL career.
5. QUOTABLE
"Just like Ontario did to us, responding to a loss, I'm excited to see where our group is at following a loss. We've been pretty good to this point in terms of coming back from (overtime) losses we've had this year, following up with a strong performance and responding. We need that and I expect to see that against Colorado this weekend." - Mitch Love on bouncing back from the first regulation loss of the season
American Hockey League Stories from November 26, 2021
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- Busdeker and Mitchell Light the Goal Lamp on Hockey Fights Cancer Night at the BMO - Rockford IceHogs
- Wolves Rally Past Griffins in Third - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Bruins Get by Islanders 3-2 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Series Preview vs. Iowa: November 27 & 28 - Henderson Silver Knights
- Providence Bruins Score Three in Second Period, Beat Bridgeport Islanders, 3-2 - Providence Bruins
- Amerks Down Bears 7-3 on Black Friday - Hershey Bears
- Wolf Pack Use Dominant Second Period to Knock off Thunderbirds 5-3 - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Monsters Win Fourth Straight in 5-1 Victory over Marlies - Cleveland Monsters
- Crunch Defeat Phantoms, 4-1 - Syracuse Crunch
- Willman Returns with Another Goal - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- T-Birds' Win Streak Snapped in Hartford - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Massive Rally Lifts Wolves to Victory - Chicago Wolves
- Coyotes Assign Jenik to Tucson Roadrunners - Tucson Roadrunners
- Gabriel Dumont Named Syracuse Crunch Captain - Syracuse Crunch
- 5 Things: Heat at Colorado - Stockton Heat
- Griffins Host Country Night & Sixth Annual Red Kettle Game - Grand Rapids Griffins
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- American Hockey League Postpones Ontario Reign Games this Weekend - AHL
- Abbotsford Canucks Announce Season of Giving - Abbotsford Canucks
- Iowa Recalls Beraldo from Heartlanders - Iowa Wild
- Wolf Pack Open Key Three-Game Series with Thunderbirds at XL Center - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Heat, Eagles Begin Two-Game Set Friday in Loveland - Stockton Heat
- Phantoms Add Master, Michaud, MacKinnon - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Bunnaman to Flyers, Willman to Phantoms - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Defenseman Sean Day from Syracuse Crunch - Syracuse Crunch
- Marlies Open up First Half of Back-To-Back in Cleveland - Toronto Marlies
- Checkers Sign Frank Hora to PTO - Charlotte Checkers
- Islanders Battle Bruins Tonight - Bridgeport Islanders
- Game Preview: Bears at Americans, 7:05 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Monsters Recall D-Man Olivier LeBlanc from ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings - Cleveland Monsters
- Game #13: Abbotsford at Tucson - Tucson Roadrunners
- IceHogs Host Admirals on Hockey Fights Cancer Night Tonight at BMO Harris Bank Center - Rockford IceHogs
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