Heat Bring Six-Game Point Streak to San Diego Saturday
December 21, 2019 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Arena: Pechanga Arena | San Diego, California
Date: Saturday, December 21
Time: 7:00 p.m. PST
Broadcast: Watch tonight's game on AHLTV or hear Stockton's radio call on Spreaker and iHeartRadio. Listeners in the Stockton area can also hear the game on Fox Sports Radio 1280 AM.
Join The Conversation: For live, in-game tweets, follow the Heat on Twitter. Join the conversation by replying to our updates or using the hashtag #STKvsSD.
Chase Chevrolet Big Moment of the Game Puck: Stay tuned on Twitter following the game for a chance to enter to win a puck signed by Jon Gillies with our Chase Chevrolet Big Moment of the Game selection!
TODAY
Stockton looks to continue its dominant run against San Diego this season with a Saturday night showdown at Pechanga Arena. The Heat enter the game 4-0 against the Gulls on the year, outscoring San Diego by a 20-8 margin thus far in the season series.
Stockton has won six consecutive matchups with San Diego at Pechanga Arena, a span that dates back to the final meeting between the clubs in the 2017-18 season. All-time, the Heat are 27-12-0-3 against the Gulls, 12-7-0-2 in San Diego.
PHILP POTS A PAIR
After seeing a five-game goal-scoring streak come to an end on Sunday, Luke Philp found the back of the net twice in Wednesday's midweek tilt against the Iowa Wild. The rookie forward leads the AHL in goals since Nov. 11, when he started his torrid stretch with a pair of markers against San Diego. Since then, Philp has found the back of the net 13 times with goals in nine of 14 games and added three assists to climb to a top-15 position among AHL rookies with 16 points on the season.
KIRKLAND COMING THROUGH
Justin Kirkland has put together a strong season thus far in Stockton, entering Saturday's game with 23 points (6g,17a) in 24 games, the third-best point total for the Heat. The fourth-year pro is on pace to shatter his current career-best offensive output with 30 points a season ago with the Milwaukee Admirals and has already bested his point totals from each of his first two AHL seasons. Kirkland comes into Saturday's game riding a five-game scoring streak with seven points (3g,4a) in that span, including a goal in back-to-back contests.
AT HOME ON THE ROAD
Stockton rides into San Diego as the AHL's top road team, the Heat's 11-2-0-1 record yielding a league-best .821 point percentage. The Heat have yet to lose a road contest in the state of California this season, entering tonight's game 8-0 against Golden State competition on opponents' ice and have outscored the Gulls 9-2 this year at Pechanga Arena.
SPECIAL TEAMS STRENGTH
Stockton boasts the best complement of special teams units in the AHL, coming into Saturday's game ranked first on the man-advantage (27.5-percent) and second on the penalty kill (88-percent). The Heat have dominated San Diego on both sides of the special teams battle, going 5-for-13 on the power play and a perfect 12-for-12 killing penalties in four games against the Gulls.
TRENDING UP
The Heat have built on a strong start to the season by piling up points of late, entering the game with at least a point in six-straight games and wins in six of the team's last seven on the road. Stockton, which dropped an overtime decision against Iowa on Wednesday on home ice, is 6-1-0-1 on the year following losses.
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