Heat burn Sharks in shootout

Published on February 26, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Heat News Release


WORCESTER MA - Can you say seven? The Abbotsford HEAT sure can. The HEAT moved to 7-1 on this road trip with a come from behind 5-4 shootout win over the Atlantic Division leading Worcester Sharks in AHL action on Friday night.

But the Heat would have to rally to get the win. In the first period, Logan Couture opened the scoring for the Sharks. After a loose puck bounced off the end boards and eluded Heat net minder David Shantz out in front of the goal, Couture was able to dive in to tap the puck into the empty net to open the scoring for Worcester. For Couture, it was his first game back after missing 10 to injury and his 19th goal of the season. At 10:07 of the opening period, the Sharks opened up to a 1-0 lead.

The lead would last mere minutes however, as former Shark Riley Armstrong would score in his first game back to Worcester after three seasons as a Shark. Staffan Kronwall would lay a perfect feed onto the stick of Armstrong, who stroked his 11th of the season past Sharks tender Alex Stalock to tie the score at 1-1 at 13:49.

Just over a minute later, the Sharks would get their lead back, thanks to the power play. With Brett Sutter in the box for boarding, Benn Ferriero would tally his 19th of the season, taking a nice pass from Couture and slipping a shot under the blocker of Shantz. The Sharks would take the lead on that goal 2-1 and lead after twenty minutes of play by the same margin.

In the second, the Heat found themselves in a world of penalty trouble. With JD Watt off on a double minor and Cam Cunning in the sin bin for tripping, Sharks captain Ryan Vesce would make the Heat pay five on three. Vesce was able to find space in the bottom of the slot and snap in his third goal in two games to give his team a 3-1 lead at 7:29 of the second.

The Heat would answer, and answer and answer again! After withstanding all the Sharks power play time, the Heat would score a four on four goal to get within one. Jason Jaffray would turn Sharks d-man Mike Moore into a pretzel before ringing a shot by Stalock, but off the post. Mikael Backlund would follow the play and bat the rebound in to the net for his 14th of the campaign and the Heat were back to within one goal, 3-2 at 11:28. At 14:16, David Van der Gulik would tie the game as he converted a Radek Smolenak rebound past

Stalock to tie the score. Then on the only full power play the Heat were awarded all game. Brett Sutter would bury his 8th of the season to give his team a 4-3 lead at the 16:23 mark of the middle stanza. As the Heat went to the locker room in the second intermission, they took the lead with them 4-3.

In the third period, despite the Abbotsford pressure, it was Worcester who would get the goal and tie the game 4-4. TJ Trevelyan would gather a loose puck in his own zone and race coast to coast, dipsy doodling thru three Heat defenders before beating Shantz to tie the game at 8:10. The game would end 4-4 after a spirited overtime which saw the Heat outshoot the Sharks 5-3, but fail to find the game winner.

In the shootout, Benn Ferriero would open the scoring in the top of round one, while David Van der Gulik would reply in the bottom of round three. There would be no scoring until round seven, when once again Trevelyan would give his team the lead. Jason Jaffray would reply to keep his team alive and once Shantz thwarted the effort of Steven Zalewski in round eight, Radek Smolenak would seal the deal for the Heat with a nifty move past Stalock for the game winner.

The Heat wins and keeps pace in the North. Abbotsford and Rochester are still tied for second place in the North Division. These two teams now find themselves four points clear of fourth place Manitoba heading into action on Saturday, when the Heat will once again battle the Sharks.

You can catch all of the Heat action on Country 107.1 FM. Game time this Saturday in Worcester will be at 4:05 pm Pacific. Dave Sheldon will bring you the call of the game live from New England, beginning with the Honda Way pre game show at 3:50 pm.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 26, 2010


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