Heat Hot Sheet - Five Road Games in Six Nights this Week

February 28, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Heat News Release


The Abbotsford Heat have passed the three quarter pole of the AHL season this past weekend, and if the North Division teams were horses, the Heat have to hit the whip as they hit the final stretch drive of their schedule.

The Heat (28-24-3-5) split their two games versus the Providence Bruins this past weekend, falling 4-0 Friday before rallying for a 6-2 thumping of the baby Bruins on Saturday night. Heading into this week, the Heat are currently tied for 5th in the North Division with the hard charging Rochester Americans. Abbotsford is four points out of fourth place currently held by Toronto, and six points back of the trio of leaders, Hamilton, Lake Erie and Manitoba.

This week sets up with five games over six days for the Heat. The last time they had such a daunting schedule, the Heat went 5-2 on a seven games in nine nights stretch. Abbotsford has three games in hand on Lake Erie and two games in hand on Toronto. First place thru seventh place in the AHL North is separated by just seven points.

Here is how the week sets up for the Heat:

Tuesday night - Texas Stars (32-20-4-5):

This will be the fourth and final meeting between these two clubs. In the first three games, the visiting team has won. The Stars are in a fight of their own in the West Division, as like the North, the West is packed like a sardine can. First place Milwaukee is separated from seventh place Chicago by just six points. If the defending Western Conference Champs from Austin want to repeat, they will want to kick things off this week with a win over the Abbotsford Heat. The Stars lost 3-2 in a shootout versus the Oklahoma City Barons on Sunday night.

Wednesday night - San Antonio Rampage (34-23-2-0):

The Rampage has a 2-1 record versus the Heat this season, including a 4-2 win over Abbotsford back in the Alamo Town on January 26. The Heat have played 31 games of sixty as one goal games this year, yet no game against the Rampage has been decided by one goal. If it becomes a close game, the Heat may have the advantage as they are 18-5-3-5 in the close ones this year.

Friday and Saturday night - Oklahoma City Barons (32-21-2-5):

These two clubs met just a week ago, with the Barons taking a 3-1 win in Calgary and a 3-2 overtime win in Abbotsford. The Barons won both of these games despite the fact that Abbotsford opened the scoring in each. When the Heat scores first in games this season, they are 18-6-2-2, so if they can get the lead against these Barons again, they had best keep the pedal to the metal.

Sunday night - The Houston Aeros (35-23-1-4):

Abbotsford has played the Aeros well this season, winning twice in Abbotsford while dropping a shootout decision in Houston last month. In both games in Abbotsford, the Heat had to reel in the Aeros, who had opened up 2-0 leads only to have the Heat beat them in the shootout. In Houston on January 28th, the Heat erased three leads in regulation and one in the shootout before falling in round five of the skills session. Again, the Heat may have the number of the Aeros, but Houston has played the most games in the Conference, so every game down the stretch is ultra important as they may see their hold of a playoff spot, like their leads against the Heat this season, slip away from them.

The Race and the Chase for the 2011 Playoffs:

North Division:

Right now, only three teams would qualify from the North due to the crossover. The three leaders, Hamilton, Manitoba and Lake Erie would qualify, while Toronto, Abbotsford, Rochester and Grand Rapids would all be on the outside looking in.

Schedule this week:

Hamilton - home to Milwaukee on Wednesday, home to Toronto on Saturday, in Toronto on Sunday.

Manitoba - Three games in three nights in the Mid-West for the Moose. In Peoria on Friday, in Milwaukee on Saturday and in Chicago on Sunday. The Moose are on a season high eleven game road trip and are currently 2-2 on the trip.

Lake Erie - The Monsters have played three more games than the Heat, so the Heat will cut into that this week as they play five games. The Monsters play just two games this week, both at home and both versus the Rockford Ice Hogs.

Toronto - The Marlies have played two more games than Abbotsford, and with the Heat playing five games this week, they will make these up as the Marlies play three. Toronto will host Wilkes-Barre Scranton on Friday, and then play a home and home with the Bulldogs on the weekend, Saturday in Steel Town, Sunday in the Big Smoke.

Abbotsford - as mentioned above, the Heat is on the road for five games. In Texas Tuesday, San Antonio Wednesday, Ok City on Friday and Saturday, Houston on Sunday.

Rochester - 8-1-0-1 in their last ten and Reebok AHL Player of the Week in tow, the Americans will play Grand Rapids in back to back games in Grand Rapids this weekend.

Grand Rapids - see Rochester.

MEYER ON FIRE - Heat forward Stefan Meyer snapped home three goals on Saturday night versus the Providence Bruins. The former Medicine Hat Tigers forward now has nine goals on the season as the line of Meyer-Laing and Kotalik struck for 12 points on Saturday.

All of the Heat action can be heard on Country 107.1 FM. Dave Sheldon has the call of every game. For road games, the pregame show will get things started 15 minutes before faceoff, while at home Dave and Craig MacEwen of Roger's Sportsnet will get the Diamond Bar Equipment Pregame Show underway thirty minutes prior to puck drop.



American Hockey League Stories from February 28, 2011


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