AHL Stockton Heat

Grant Notches Fourth Two-Goal Game in Heat Defeat

Published on December 17, 2015 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release


Stockton, Calif. - Derek Grant continues to show his ability to score in bunches, netting his team leading eighth and ninth markers of the season, but the Stockton Heat just missed out on the comeback, falling to the Bakersfield Condors 3-2 Wednesday night at Stockton Arena. Grant earned his team leading fourth multi-goal game of the season and powered the Heat offense, while Emile Poirier was all over the net, but couldn't quite find the twine, managing an assist and nine shots on goal during the game. In the end, it was a late goal from Matthew Ford and the all-around play from Bakersfield netminder Ben Scrivens that stymied the Heat in their efforts to win two in a row against their biggest rival. The Stockton Heat and Bakersfield Condors will now head to Sacramento, California for the first ever AHL outdoor game on the west coast at Raley Field this Friday night, when the two teams meet out in the elements at the Golden State Hockey Rush Presented by Allstate.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Bakersfield goal: F Kale Kessy (5) shot from the farside faceoff circle goes off the bar and past the goaltender (unassisted), 6:57

Shots: STK - 13 | BAK - 8

2nd Period

Bakersfield goal: F Anton Slepyshev (4) broken play in front of the crease leads to a backdoor tap-in from the farside post (Oesterle, Fayne assists), 7:32

Shots: STK - 18 | BAK - 7

3rd Period

HEAT GOAL: F Derek Grant (8) puck is put past the goaltender through traffic in front during a scrum (Kulak, Agostino assists), 4:23

HEAT GOAL: F Derek Grant (9) shot from the point is tipped down past the goaltender in traffic in the slot (Stevenson, Poirier assists), 15:06

Bakersfield goal: F Matthew Ford (10) rebound is kicked out to the farside of the crease and is put past the goaltender's outstretched pad (LaLeggia, Yakimov assists), 17:56 (PP)

Shots: STK - 15 | BAK - 8

GOALIES

W: Ben Scrivens (46 shots, 44 saves)

L: Joni Ortio (23 shots, 20 saves)

NOTABLE STATISTICS

Three Stars: 1- Ben Scrivens (46 shots, 44 saves) 2- Derek Grant (2 goals) 3- Matthew Ford (1 goal)

Final Shots: STK - 46 | BAK - 23

Power Plays: STK - 0/5 | BAK - 1/5

Derek Grant earns his fourth multi-goal game of the year

Emile Poirier's nine shots are tied for the most shots taken in a single game this season (Markus Granlund and Jakub Nakladal)

Bill Arnold has his three-game point streak snapped (1 goal, 2 assists)

QUOTES

"The effort was there in the third period, but we have to play three periods just like that. Unfortunately, our first two periods weren't our best and we leaned on our third period to get us back in the game like they have for last little bit. We have to play three periods like we did the third tonight and we'll have a lot different outcome." - Aaron Johnson on his team's play tonight.

"We want to be physical throughout the whole game because we know we're going to play these guys again. We have a big game coming up and it should be exciting playing outdoors. Now we turn the page and go there." - Johnson on the physical plays that sparked the Heat late and carrying that style out to Raley Field.

"[Dustin Stevenson] made a good shot from the point and I was able to get a stick on it. It was a big goal with a few minutes left, but unfortunately we took a penalty and we weren't able to kill it off. That's a big time to kill a penalty and we were doing a good job all night, so it was tough to allow a power-play goal at that time." - Derek Grant on his second goal that tied the game and the ensuing power-play goal from Bakersfield that was the eventual game-winner.

"We have to find a way to win these games. A lot of the games in this league are one-goal games and those are the ones that make the difference come playoff time. We're close, but we have to find a way to win." - Grant on the amount of one-goal games the Heat have been in this season and finding a way to come out in the win column.

"Their goaltender [Ben Scrivens] played well and I thought we had some good quality chances, especially in the second period where he made some saves. We just have to bear down on our opportunities from the inside. Tonight we had a lot of shots come from the outside and we weren't able to find the goals that we needed tonight." - Head Coach Ryan Huska on the play of Condors goalie Ben Scrivens and outshooting the opponent in a loss.

"A lot of these nights special teams are the difference. Tonight in a 2-2 game we gave up a power-play goal to them, so again that's the difference. Their power play stepped up - our's didn't - and our penalty kill wasn't able to get the job done when it needed to. Most nights, the teams are very close and the difference is the special teams. Over the last little while our's haven't been near good enough." - Coach Huska on losing yet another tight one-goal game and what the difference is between winning and losing those games.

"There are lots of positives. I thought territorially we were good tonight. We did a lot of good things. We hemmed them in their zone at times and really a lot of the way we played the game was good. The result wasn't there tonight, but if we continue to play in the offensive zone as much as possible and work on our shot selection, then I know the result will change to a different favor." - Coach Huska on what positives he takes from tonight.

NEXT HOME GAME

STOCKTON HEAT vs. Bakersfield Condors

December 18 @ Stockton Arena

Golden State Hockey Rush Presented by Allstate at Raley Field

Doors @ 6:30 p.m., Puck drop @ 7:30 p.m.

Check out the Stockton Heat Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from December 17, 2015


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