Heat Back Home to Host San Diego at 5 PM
November 25, 2018 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release
Arena: Stockton Arena
Date: Sunday, November 25, 2018
Time: 5:00 p.m. PST
Broadcast: Spreaker, iHeartRadio & AHLTV at 4:45 p.m.
For the live, in-game tweets, follow @AHLHeat. Stay tuned at the end of the game for the Chase Chevrolet Big Moment of the Game with your chance to win an autographed puck from Andrew Mangiapane.
TONIGHT
Following another dramatic victory on Friday night in San Diego, Stockton is back home to kick off the first of eight straight games in Northern California. Tonight marks the third matchup between the two clubs this season and second meeting of the weekend. The first two games at the Valley View Casino Center have been track meets, featuring twenty goals and two one goal victories in favor of Stockton. The most recent, on Friday night, was capped off with a shorthanded goal from Curtis Lazar with 12 seconds to play to win it for Stockton.
In the first meeting, Jon Gillies was the hero late stopping 12 of 14 attempts in the shootout. However, this weekend Gillies was pulled in the second period after allowing five goals on 14 shots. Nick Schneider got his named called and came in to stop all 12 shots in the final 26:56 to win his second game in relief this season.
San Diego sits in the bottom of the Pacific division at 6-6-1-1 and Stockton remains in third place with a 10-8-1-0 record.
WHO TO WATCH
Curtis Lazar is arguably the team MVP through 19 games. He is red hot right now with five goals in his last five games. He is tied for third on the team in points and his reliable 200-foot game makes him an essential part to the penalty kill and crucial defensive zone draws. Since moving Buddy Robinson and Morgan Klimchuk to his line, Lazar has been a force down low below the dots and has found his scoring touch in a variety of different ways.
LAST TIME VS. SAN DIEGO
Adversity presented itself on Friday, and once again the Heat answered the call, showcasing another level of fortitude. The Heat led for just 12 seconds during the 6-5 win. Stockton overcame two separate two-goal holes to win in improbable fashion to take a 2-0 season series lead on the San Diego Gulls. The Heat now hold a 20-9-0-3 all-time advantage against the Gulls, including 12-2-0-1 on home ice.
SCHNEIDER FROM THE BENCH
Schneider once again picks up another win as the backup goaltender. Stockton trailed 5-3 in the second period when Heat Head Coach, Cail MacLean pulled Gillies in favor of the 21-year-old. Schneider didn't face any shots in the second period, but we would make 12 saves in the third period, none bigger than the pair he made in the final seconds of the game.
Two of Schneider's five wins this season have come in relief for Jon Gillies. The first one came on Tuesday, November 13 when the Heat once again came down from two goals to shock the Eagles in overtime.
CLOSE IS GOOD
They may be stressful, but the tight games are working out for the Heat. Friday's one-goal win brings Stockton's record to 6-1-1 in one-goal games this year. They have done it with a high-scoring attack, late goals, and clutch special teams. Conversely, Stockton is 2-6 in games separated by three goals or more. Hard to know exactly what these numbers mean other than when the times get tough, Stockton plays their best hockey, which is a great sign.
ALL HAIL QUINE
Stockton is 6-2 since the return of Alan Quine and Morgan Klimchuk into the lineup. Klimchuk missed just four games, but Quine missed nearly a month with an injury. His presence back in the lineup makes Stockton far superior up front. The center has eight points over the last three games and now leads the team with 16 points despite only playing in 11 games.
INTERESTING FACT
The first two games in the season series against the Gulls were oddly similar to the first two meetings this year between Stockton and Ontario. The first two meetings in both cases featured two one-goal games and a combined 20 goals in each season series. The following two meetings were split by Stockton and Ontario and were both lopsided games.
American Hockey League Stories from November 25, 2018
- Carrick Leads Gulls' Scoring Barrage at Stockton - San Diego Gulls
- Lazar's Three Points Not Enough in Loss - Stockton Heat
- Reign Rally for OT Win - Ontario Reign
- Checkers Edge Rocket 3-1 - Laval Rocket
- Tucson Stunned, Yet a Point Richer, in 7-6 Overtime Loss to Ontario - Tucson Roadrunners
- Johnson Jolts Hogs to Skid-Snapping Win - Rockford IceHogs
- Mascherin, Gurianov Lead Stars Past Rampage - San Antonio Rampage
- Letestu Nets Game-Winner in Overtime as Monsters Stun Marlies, 2-1 - Cleveland Monsters
- Bernier scores first pro hat trick in 200th AHL game - Bridgeport Islanders
- Penguins Lose Tight One to P-Bruins - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- 'Canes Recall Bean and Zykov from Charlotte - Charlotte Checkers
- Comtois Assigned to QMJHL - San Diego Gulls
- P-Bruins Sweep Pennsylvania Trip with 4-2 Win over Penguins - Providence Bruins
- Third Period Push Comes up Just Short for T-Birds in Bridgeport - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Mike Amadio Recalled by Kings - Ontario Reign
- Checkers Ground Rocket to Notch Third Straight Win - Charlotte Checkers
- Marlies and Monsters Meet for Second Straight Matchup - Toronto Marlies
- Senators Loan Leier and Racine to Brampton - Belleville Senators
- Goaltender Lankinen Reassigned to Rockford - Rockford IceHogs
- Heat Back Home to Host San Diego at 5 PM - Stockton Heat
- Anaheim Ducks Announce Roster Moves Affecting Gulls - San Diego Gulls
- Blackhawks Assign Luke Johnson to IceHogs - Rockford IceHogs
- Griffins Set Promotions for Three Home Games Next Week - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Game #18 Preview: Tucson at Ontario - Tucson Roadrunners
- Tucson's Offensive Clinic Overwhelms Bakersfield in 6-1 Victory - Tucson Roadrunners
- Hogs Bottom out in Defensive Struggle with Ads - Rockford IceHogs
- Hronek Notches Overtime Winner against Wolves - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Crowd of 8,497 Supports Condors Teddy Bear Toss - Bakersfield Condors
- Barracuda Earn Point in Shootout Loss at Colorado - San Jose Barracuda
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