Heat Host Condors Wednesday on Dollar Beer Night
December 19, 2018 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Arena: Stockton Arena
Date: Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Time: 7:00 PM
Broadcast: Spreaker, iHeartRadio & AHLTV at 6:45 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 Matt Taormina.
TONIGHT
Stockton hosts the Bakersfield Condors for the second time in five days tonight starting at 7:00 PM. Tonight's tilt with Bakersfield wraps up a season long six game home stand. Stockton sports a 2-3 record in the five-game stretch and will look to salvage the home stand with a win tonight against Bakersfield.
Stockton suffered a setback on Saturday night to the Condors in a 1-0 loss, dropping the Heat into fifth place in the Pacific Division, one point behind the Condors. Bakersfield has been a thorn in Stockton's side all season with the Heat picking up just two of a possible eight points through four meetings.
Tonight is $1 Beers at Stockton Arena and Ugly Christmas Sweater Night. Fans that wear Christmas sweaters to the Stockton Arena Box Office receive $5 off tonight's game ticket. Santa will once again be in the arena and will be available for photo opportunities all night long at the North Entrance and the Puck Drop Party Deck - all fans who visit Santa will receive one free ticket to the Heat's New Year's Eve game against San Jose, a 5:00 p.m. puck drop. Additionally, fans who spend $25 or more at the Fan Attic tonight will receive a free Heat hat.
WHO TO WATCH
Dillon Dube is the youngest player on the Stockton Heat, but he will be one of the forwards leaned upon in the wake of more call ups to the Calgary Flames. Dube already has 20 games of NHL experience this season and this added responsibility with increased minutes at the AHL level will be another good test for the highly touted Flames prospect. Dube's assignment to Stockton has allowed the 20-year-old to play in all situations in Stockton on a number of different lines over his first few weeks in Stockton. Dube is still searching for his first AHL goal through 11 games, but the former captain of Team Canada has countless of great scoring opportunities over the last few games. Keep an eye on Dube to finally get rewarded before the calendar turns to 2019.
GOALIE SHUFFLE
Prior to Stockton's last game, Jon Gillies was recalled by the Calgary Flames to back up David Rittich, while Mike Smith was day to day. Since Smith's return Gillies has returned to Stockton and Nick Schneider has once again been assigned to the ECHL's Kansas City Mavericks. Schneider stopped 30 of 31 shots in Saturday night's 1-0 loss to Bakersfield. Although Tyler Parsons did not play on Saturday night, the Michigan native served as the backup for the first time since October 26. Gillies and Parsons will serve as the two goalies tonight to start a stretch of three games in four days.
RYCHEL TO CALGARY
Kerby Rychel made his Calgary Flames debut this past Sunday in the Flames 7-2 trashing of the St. Louis Blues. Rychel is now the eighth player in the Flames organization to play in a game this season for both Stockton and Calgary. Rychel joins forwards Alan Quine, Andrew Mangiapane, Ryan Lomberg, Dillon Dube and Anthony Peluso to play in both locations. Defensively, Oliver Kylington and Dalton Prout have played in games in both cities this season, even though Prout only played in Stockton on a conditioning stint.
LOW SCORING GAMES
Stockton's defensive struggles in the first six weeks of the season were very well documented, but since then the defense has settled in quite nicely. Over the last three games the Heat have allowed a total of just five goals. Goaltending has been much stronger with Gillies and Schneider over the last three games, with the two shot blockers combining for a .934 save percentage and just five goals allowed. Conversely, the Heat have scored just four goals over their last three games.
SOLID PENALTY KILL
Stockton's penalty kill has killed off 21-24 chances over the last six games. The Heat PK is 42 of their last 49 on the penalty kill over the last thirteen games. Since Wednesday, November 14th in Colorado, Stockton is operating at 85.7% on the penalty kill. Stockton's penalty kill was quiet yet effective on Saturday night, killing off two chances against, which is tied for a season low in attempts this year. Additionally, the Heat continue to create looks when down a skater. Stockton has five shorthanded goals on the year, including three off the stick of Curtis Lazar.
INTERESTING FACT
Today marks the three year anniversary of the Stockton Heat's outdoor game against the Bakersfield Condors at Raley Field in Sacramento. Back on December 19, 2015 the Heat skated in the elements to a 3-2 victory over the Condors in the first ever outdoor game in AHL history.
American Hockey League Stories from December 19, 2018
- Monsters Edge Griffins, 3-1 - Cleveland Monsters
- Lyon Stops 18, Bears Blanked in Lehigh Valley - Hershey Bears
- Crunch Edged by Thunderbirds, 3-2 - Syracuse Crunch
- P-Bruins Shutout for First Time in 3-0 Loss to Hartford - Providence Bruins
- 'Canes Recall Bishop from Charlotte - Charlotte Checkers
- Kings Assign Four to Ontario - Ontario Reign
- Toews Earns First NHL Recall - Bridgeport Islanders
- Isac Lundestrom Loaned to to Team Sweden - San Diego Gulls
- Ontario Reign Hold Record-Setting Teddy Bear Toss Weekend - Ontario Reign
- Blackhawks Recall Forward Johnson - Rockford IceHogs
- Dallas Stars Reassign Defenseman Joel Hanley - Texas Stars
- Heat Host Condors Wednesday on Dollar Beer Night - Stockton Heat
- Monsters Recall Forward Dan DeSalvo from ECHL's Toledo Walleye - Cleveland Monsters
- Flyers Loan Phil Varone to Phantoms - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Marlies Set to Host Devils - Toronto Marlies
- Sound Tigers Encounter Penguins Tonight - Bridgeport Islanders
- Canes Loan Necas to Czech Republic for WJC - Charlotte Checkers
- Moose Announce Details for Shutout Hunger Presented by Red River Co-Op - Manitoba Moose
- Game Preview: Bears at Phantoms, 7:05 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Game Day Build-Up: Senators at Americans, December 19 - Belleville Senators
- T-Birds Continue Homestand Wednesday vs. Syracuse - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Second "Roadrunners in the Community Day" Taking Place Wednesday - Tucson Roadrunners
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