Abbotsford Heat Hot Sheet - All Star Edition

Published on January 31, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Heat News Release


ABBOTSFORD BC - The Abbotsford Heat kick off their post AHL All Star Break with five games in six nights beginning this Friday evening in Chicago to take on the Chicago Wolves (Atlanta Thrashers).

This past week, the Heat travelled through Texas to wrap up the first leg of their mammoth ten game road swing with stops in San Antonio, Houston and Austin, TX, where they posted a record of 1-1-0-1.

On Wednesday in San Antonio, Vancouver product Bracken Kearns, son of former Vancouver Canucks defender Dennis Kearns, earned the `Gordie Howe' hat trick the hard way. After absorbing a vicious beating at the hands of Heat defenseman Matt Pelech, Kearns later scored once and assisted on another to lead the San Antonio Rampage past the Abbotsford Heat 4-2. Aldergrove's Matt Keith and the Heat's All Star representative T.J. Brodie scored for the Heat in a losing cause, while JP Lamoureux would absorb his first regulation loss of the season in six Heat starts.

On Friday, the Heat would visit the Houston Aeros. Twice this season, the Heat had come from behind to defeat the Aeros in a shootout, and Friday's game was one where the Heat had their chances, but could never find their way ahead, falling 4-3 in the shootout. Abbotsford would erase three one goals deficits as Lance Bouma, Jon Rheault and Matt Keith scored goals to wipe away Houston leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2. In the shootout, the Heat would once again eliminate a Houston lead, as Greg Nemisz scored a highlight reel goal in the skills competition on Aeros goalie Anton Khudobin. Nemisz looked to have out maneuvered his way past Khudobin on his backhand, but before he crossed the goal line, pivoted to his forehand and lifted a shot up and over the surprised Houston goalie and the stunned Aeros crowd. However, Chad Rau would score the shootout winner one round later to finally secure the win for Houston. Lamoureux was great again between the pipes for Abbotsford, but suffered his second straight defeat.

On Saturday, the Heat wrapped up their Texas swing with a game in Austin versus the Texas Stars. In two games in Abbotsford late last month, the Stars handled the Heat by the scores of 4-1 and 3-0. In this game, after the Heat would open the scoring on a TJ Brodie power play goal in the first period, Texas would strike for two goals early in the second period to grab a 2-1 lead. The Heat responded with two goals of their own just 11 seconds apart, a Heat team record for fastest two goals, as Matt Pelech and Gaelan Patterson restored the Heat lead 3-2 after two. In the third, Bouma scored another for Abbotsford, his 11th of the season, to double the Heat lead to 4-2. However, Dan Spang and Francis Wathier would score late in the third period to get the game once again into the shootout. In the shootout, Leland Irving would once again prove his value, stopping all four shooters to lead the Heat to a 5-4 win. For Irving, it was his 8th shootout win of the season and 19th of the year, with both categories leading the AHL.

OPPONENTS THIS WEEK:

CHICAGO WOLVES (Friday - 5:30 PM PST, Country 107.1 FM)Season series - Heat lead the season series 2-1.Notable scorers for ABB vs. CHI - Greg Nemisz has two goals and one assist. Keith Seabrook has one goal (OT winner) and two assists.Notable Wolves Players: Jason Krog - Fernie BC - The captain of the Wolves and former Vancouver Canucks prospect is once again having a solid season. Krog has scored 11 goals and 34 assists for a team leading 45 points.

Nigel Dawes - This former member of the Kootenay Ice was also one time property of the Calgary Flames. This year, Dawes has to work his way back to the NHL via the Atlanta Thrashers system. In Chicago, Dawes has scored a team high 22 goals.

Andrew Kozek - Sicamous BC - BC born player has five goals on the season

Spencer Machacek - Former Vancouver Giants (WHL) captain has bounced back and forth between the Thrashers and Wolves over the past three seasons. In his three years in Chicago, Machacek has played over two hundred games and has had seasons of 23, 20 and so far 16 goals this season.

ROCKFORD ICE HOGS (Saturday - 5 PM PST, Country 107.1 FM)

Season series - 1-1-0-1. The Heat defeated Rockford 4-1 in Rockford back on October 22nd.

Notable Ice Hogs Players:

Jeff Taffe - The former Rochester American has 13 goals and 28 points this season in leading the Ice Hogs in scoring.

Kyle Beach - Kelowna BC - The much ballyhooed non-pick of Canucks GM Mike Gillis (Gillis chose Cody Hodgson one pick earlier), Beach is a rookie in Rockford after scoring 50 goals in Spokane last season, and leads all Rockford rookies in scoring with nine goals and 22 points. Beach needs to work on defense, as he is a team worst -13.

Lake Erie Monsters (Sunday, 1 PM PST, Country 107.1 FM)

Season Series - The Heat lead the season series 2-0.

Notable Monsters Players:

Ben Walter - Walter is having another solid AHL season, his sixth. This season, Walter has 16 goals and 21 assists to lead Lake Erie with 37 points.

David Van der Gulik - Abbotsford BC - Limited to just 24 games this year due to injury, the fan favorite, former Abbotsford Heat forward has just five goals this season, but also spent half the year in Colorado with the NHL's Avalanche, playing in five games and scoring his first NHL goal.

HEAT NOTES:

THREE IS THE NUMBER - When the Heat score three goals this season, they are 17-2-0-3.

KEEPING IT CLOSE - The Heat have played 26 one goal games thru their first 49 contests. In those one goal games, the Heat is 15-4-2-5, with nine wins coming by shootout and two more by overtime.

TIE IT IN A `BOUMA' - Heat rookie Lance Bouma now is tied with fellow rookie Greg Nemisz for the rookie goal scoring lead with 11. Bouma has a team high five power play goals this season and with 19 points, is fifth in team scoring overall.

IRVING ON TOP - Heat goaltender Leland Irving is an AHL goaltending leader in a number of categories. First in wins with 19, first in shootout wins with 8, tenth in goals against average at 2.42, fifth in saves with 890, fourth in minutes with 981, and first in games played with 40.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 31, 2011


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