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AHL Stockton Heat

Heat Face Must Win Game at Rabobank Arena Tonight at 7:00 p.m.

April 12, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release


TONIGHT

The Stockton Heat and the Bakersfield Condors closeout their regular season series at Rabobank Arena with the Heat needing a win to keep their hopes of playing postseason hockey alive while the Condors look to play spoiler against their biggest rival.

The Heat managed to salvage 2 points during a three-game homestand to keep the hope alive while the Condors had theirs demolished over the weekend when they fell to the Ontario Reign.

The Heat are 5-6-0-0 against Bakersfield this season so a win wouldn't just keep their playoff hopes alive, but also earn a series split with the club down California-99.

Both teams have received reinforcements from the big clubs as Drew Shore and Hunter Shinkaruk will be available for the Heat while Edmonton sent defenseman Darnell Nurse, Jordan Oesterle, Griffin Reinhart and goaltender Laurent Brossoit who are all expected in the lineup tonight.

LAST TIME VS. BAKERSFIELD

A back and forth game saw both teams put five goals past the respective goaltenders in the first 60 minutes (including three from Stockton in the first 6:34 in the third) but just a minute into the overtime period on the second shift of the extra session, Drew Shore's shot was stopped by goalie Ty Rimmer but Hunter Shinkaruk followed it up to give the Heat the 6-5 win and get their season-long five-game road trip off to a good start.

WHO TO WATCH

Stockton needed good performances from the three players who returned from their first NHL recall on Sunday to help get the club the win in Oliver Kylington, Turner Elson and Pat Sieloff.

Now it's going to be Hunter Shinkaruk's turn as the winger returns to the Heat after he was called up on emergency recall on March 28.

Shinkaruk, who made his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks this year prior to the trade, suited up in 7 games for his boyhood team, including scoring his first NHL point, an assist, in his first game in Arizona and scoring his first NHL goal on March 30 against Anaheim and his first goal in the building he grew up watching the Flames in on April 5 against Los Angeles.

Now, a reinvigorated Shinkaruk will be coming back to the Heat and playing in the place he scored his last game winning goal at.

We expect Hunter to have a great game and help keep Stockton in the hunt.

YOUNG PLAYERS GAINING CONFIDENCE

Any nervousness or anxiousness some of the young guns on the team have experienced may be a thing of the past.

Take forward Mark Jankowski, who in just a few games as a pro with the Heat appeared composed, collected and was extremely effective over the weekend series against San Diego.

Jankowski was one of Stockton's best players on the ice, contributing on both of Stockton's goals on Saturday's loss and scoring his first pro goal on Sunday in the win over the Gulls.

However Jankowski wasn't the only new player to make an impact as Brett Pollock became the newest "new guy" on the club, playing in his first pro game on Sunday.

While it looked like he had some nerves during his debut, Pollock bounced back and on Sunday, scored a pivotal goal, tying the game at three early in the third period just moments after San Diego took their first lead of the game.

While the Heat are a very young team with 10 true rookies on the roster, the team's core rookie group has begun chipping in more and more giving the newer members of the team, a good baseline for how to compete at the pro level and contribute to the team in a positive manner.

The impacts made by Jankowski, Pollock, Nick Schneider and Keegan Kanzig, who've all come from their junior/college clubs in the last two weeks, are easy to see and the confidence they are gaining is a positive sign for the future of the Heat and the Flames.

ELSON, KYLINGTON, SIELOFF RETURN SUNDAY, SHORE AND SHINKARUK RETURN TONIGHT

A quick, but unforgettable trip to Calgary for three Stockton Heat regulars is over and they will now return to the Heat lineup and rejoin the push for a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

For Sieloff and Elson, they return to Stockton with an extra souvenir, as each of them earned their first NHL point in their NHL debuts last night (Sieloff a goal, Elson an assist).

18-year-old defenseman Kylington also made his debut and while he didn't earn a point, he did play 17:22 and put one shot on net.

Perhaps their experience in Calgary will lend itself to an even higher level of play when they return to Stockton. All three have become vital members of the Heat lineup, especially on special teams.

No doubt their return will be welcomed for the Heat as they fight for a playoff spot.

Forwards Drew Shore and Hunter Shinkaruk enjoyed a slightly lengthier stay than the aforementioned three but neither of those two arrived in time for the Heat's game on Sunday against the San Diego Gulls.

PLAYOFF PRIMER

Stockton is in the midst of a battle for the fourth and final spot with the Charlotte Checkers and San Jose Barracuda.

The Heat cannot drop a loss in any fashion, be it in regulation, OT or in the shootout as Stockton's final three games must all be wins.

However should Charlotte pick up a single point, their MinPct would be .533 while Stockton's MaxPct sits at .529, which would eliminate the Heat from the postseason. Charolotte visits Lake Erie on Thursday & Friday.

If all goes according to plan and it comes down to it, Stockton can win one game vs. San Jose in either overtime or a shootout, plus a regulation win, to give Stockton a playoff birth.

INTERESTING FACT

Brett Kulak has assists in four straight games, which sets a new team long for an assist streak this season. Kulak has 5 assists during his current streak. He's also took over as the second most point getter from the blueline, surpassing Jakub Nakladal who had 14 points in 35 games with the Heat

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Arena: Rabobank Arena

Date: April 12, 2016

Time: 7:00 p.m. PST

Broadcast: AHL Live, Spreaker & iHeartRadio beginning at 6:45 p.m. PST

Leading Scorer: STOCKTON: F Kenny Agostino (62GP, 21-30-51)

BAKERSFIELD: F Matthew Ford (61GP 26-21-47)

For the live, in-game tweets, follow @AHLHeatPR. Stay tuned at the end of the game for the Chase Chevrolet Big Moment of the Game with your chance to win an autographed Hunter Shinkaruk puck.

Check out the Stockton Heat Statistics

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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