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Heat Hot Sheet - Moose Showdown this Weekend

March 21, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Heat News Release


ABBOTSFORD BC ‚¬" Three weeks are left in the Abbotsford Heat ‚¬â„¢s regular season, and if this past week was any indication, it going to be an exciting ride to the finish for the Heat and their fans as the Heat try and qualify for the 2011 Calder Cup Playoffs.

THIS PAST WEEK:

FRIDAY ‚¬" Abbotsford 3 Hamilton 2

Aldergrove ‚¬â„¢s Matt Keith scored his team leading 19th goal of the season with 44.8 seconds to play in the third period to lift the Heat past Hamilton 3-2. The goal was the Heat ‚¬â„¢s first lead of the night, as they had to battle back twice from one goal deficits versus the Bulldogs.

John Armstrong with his 8th of the season and Chris Breen with his 3rd of the season also scored for Abbotsford in the win. JP Lamoureux earned the victory in relief of Heat starter Leland Irving. Lamoureux stopped 16 of 17 shots for the win.

SATURDAY ‚¬" Abbotsford 2 Hamilton 0

JP Lamoureux continued his fine weekend of play, turning aside all 21 Hamilton shots in a 2-0 Heat win. Greg Nemisz would pot his 14th of the season on a Heat power play while Gaelan Patterson added insurance with an empty net goal in the final minute to seal the win.

With the victory, the Heat ‚¬â„¢s record versus Hamilton improves to 3-0-0-1 on the season, including three straight wins now over the defending North Division Champions.

DIVISION STANDINGS:

As of Monday morning, the Heat remained in 6th place in the North Division, but never this season has the standings been so tight ‚¬Â¦

Rank Team GP W L OTL SOL PTS STREAK P10

1 Lake Erie Monsters 70 37 25 3 5 82 5-0-0-0 8-2-0-0

2 Manitoba Moose 71 38 27 1 5 82 0-1-0-0 5-5-0-0

3 Grand Rapids Griffins 71 35 26 2 8 80 2-0-0-0 8-1-1-0

4 Hamilton Bulldogs 69 36 26 1 6 79 0-2-0-0 4-5-0-1

5 Toronto Marlies 72 34 28 1 9 78 0-3-0-1 4-4-1-1

6 Abbotsford Heat 69 34 26 4 5 77 3-0-0-0 7-2-1-0

7 Rochester Americans 69 30 33 3 3 66 0-2-0-0 4-6-0-0

As you can see, with the exception of Rochester, 1st thru 6th is separated by just five points. The Heat have games in hand on every team above them in the standings with the exception of Hamilton, but Abbotsford plays the Bulldogs heads-up four more times over their final 11 games. The line below Grand Rapids is the cut off for a guaranteed playoff spot in the North Division. Right now, Hamilton, Toronto and Abbotsford would find themselves on the outside looking in if the playoffs were to begin today.

CROSSOVER STANDINGS:

Rank Team GP W L OTL SOL PTS STREAK P10

1 Chicago Wolves 71 36 26 3 6 81 1-0-0-0 5-2-1-2

2 Peoria Rivermen 71 37 27 2 5 81 0-2-0-0 4-4-0-2

3 San Antonio Rampage 69 37 27 3 2 79 0-2-0-1 3-4-1-2

4 Hamilton Bulldogs 69 36 26 1 6 79 0-2-0-0 4-5-0-1

5 Toronto Marlies 72 34 28 1 9 78 0-3-0-1 4-4-1-1

6 Abbotsford Heat 69 34 26 4 5 77 3-0-0-0 7-2-1-0

Crossover is even tighter than the division ‚¬Â¦but only one team will get in. The Wolves today hold down the top crossover spot, however, Abbotsford remains just four points back with two games in hand.

THIS WEEK:

The Heat will practice at home until Wednesday. On Thursday, Abbotsford will hit the road for a four game road trip that will see them visit the Division co-leaders from Manitoba on Friday and Sunday. Abbotsford holds a 2-3-0-1 record versus the Moose this season, but if you look at it from the Manitoba point of view, they are licking their chops waiting for the Heat as they have posted a 4-0-0-2 record against Abbotsford this year, taking 10 points in the process.

FRIDAY, March 25 ‚¬" ABBOTSFORD HEAT @ MANITOBA MOOSE 530 PM (PDT) ‚¬" MTS CENTRE, WINNIPEG MB Country 107.1 FM and AHL Live!

SUNDAY, March 27 ‚¬" ABBOTSFORD HEAT @ MANITOBA MOOSE 10 AM (PDT) MTS CENTRE, WINNIPEG MB CBC-TV, Country 107.1 FM and AHL Live!

North Division Breakdown

1. Lake Erie (Last week 4th) ‚¬" 10 games left ‚¬" 82 points. As Butch and Sundance said, ‚¬ËœWho are those guys...they just keep comin ‚¬â„¢ and comin ‚¬â„¢! ‚¬â„¢ The Lake Erie Monsters are for real. 8-2 over their past ten games and on a Conference high 5 game win streak, the folks in Cleveland might just get some playoffs if they can sustain their hot play. This week, three more games, two against DESPERATE Rochester, one home and one away, followed by a date against the Toronto Marlies. If Rochester and Toronto want anything to do with the playoff discussion, they are going to have to do everyone a favour and take the Monsters down a peg with a couple of wins this week.

2. Manitoba (Last week 1st) ‚¬" 9 games left ‚¬" 82 points. Really in a tie for first, the Moose played four home games this week and the results were a less than stellar 1-3. After back to back losses against Wilkes-Barre, followed by a win against the Texas Stars on Friday night, the Moose were thumped at home 5-1 on Saturday by Texas in the rematch. Manitoba retains the division lead ‚¬Â¦for now. They will have to sweep their next four home games, including their next two this weekend against the Heat, just to post a winning home record on this eight game stand. Just to note ‚¬Â¦three of the final four Moose games this year will be against Hamilton, including the last two in Winnipeg!

3. Grand Rapids (Last week ‚¬" 5th) ‚¬" 9 games left ‚¬" 80 points. The Grand Rapids Griffins, like Lake Erie, are playing their best hockey of the season at the right time, right before the playoffs. Grand Rapids is 8-1-1 over their past ten games ‚¬Â¦only Portland in the East is hotter. The Griffs were 2-1 this past week, with a 7-2 thumping at the hands of the Monsters sandwiched between wins over OK City and Rockford. Grand Rapids gets three games in four nights this week, as they host Toronto on Wednesday before doing the two-step in Texas this weekend.

4. Hamilton (Last week 2nd) ‚¬" 11 games left ‚¬" 79 points. The 2010 Division Champs continue to stumble, as the Dogs posted a 1-2 this past week and now are in the midst of a six game road trip. The Bulldogs will get a week to find some bodies, as more injuries in Montreal and Hamilton have forced the Dogs to go with a short bench this past weekend in Abbotsford. The Bulldogs dressed just sixteen skaters against the Heat on Saturday night, a 2-0 loss. This weekend, what does a tired and injured team need more than anything, how about three games in three nights' Hamilton will visit Rockford on Friday, Chicago on Saturday and then finish with Peoria on Sunday, running the gauntlet of teams in the West who are also fighting for their lives in the playoff chase.

5. Toronto (Last week 3rd) - 8 games left ‚¬" 78 points. When you are the team with the fewest number of games left in the playoff chase, the last thing that you want is a losing streak. Enter the Marlies and their pipe band! Toronto has now lost their last four games, including pair of games that they had to win. After a 1-0 loss in Syracuse on Friday night, (the Crunch is 23 points out of a playoff berth, the Marlies welcomed the Adirondack Phantoms, who are 26 points out of the playoffs, and promptly lost 3-1 to the not so scary Phantoms. Just two games this week, but against the two hottest teams. Wednesday night the Marlies face Grand Rapids in Grand Rapids and then will follow that with a Friday night date at home against the Lake Erie Monsters. The Marlies MUST WIN this weekend.

6. Abbotsford (Last week 6th) ‚¬" 11 games left ‚¬" 77 points. Great start to their home stretch run, winning back to back at home over Hamilton this past weekend and vaulting themselves right into the pack in the North Division. Watching the Heat is like watching a great Kentucky Derby. The Heat is now in the final couple of furlongs and need to make up ground. This week, they square off for a pair against the Moose in Winnipeg. Abbotsford needs to change the trend against Manitoba, who have taken at least one point in every game played against the Heat this season.

7. Rochester Americans ‚¬" 11 games left ‚¬" 66 points. Back to back losses last week leave the Americans in spoiler mode. Don ‚¬â„¢t tell them that though, as Rochester ‚¬â„¢s Media release today suggested that there may still a chance. In a nutshell, it ‚¬â„¢s miracle time for the Amerks, who now need to run the table and get help to have any chance. Now fourteen points out of a playoff spot with six teams above them fighting each other leaves little error for the Americans. Stick a fork in them ‚¬Â¦they are done.

MOOSE - BC Connections:

There are two players with BC ties, but as this is the Vancouver Canucks affiliate, there are lots of familiar faces, even some that have slapped on a Heat jersey with something to prove:

PRAB RAI ‚¬" Surrey BC ‚¬" on the Moose roster, but yet to play a game.

KEITH SEABROOK ‚¬" Delta BC ‚¬" Seabrook is still officially Calgary property, but was loaned to the Moose in exchange for the Moose loaning MacGregor Sharp to the Heat. Seabrook ‚¬â„¢s production in Manitoba has mirrored what he had here in Abbotsford. Thru 10 games, ‚¬ËœSeabs ‚¬â„¢ has a goal and three assists for four points, while with the Heat he had 20 points thru 48 games, nearly identical.

NAMES:

JASON JAFFRAY ‚¬" May be available for the Moose this weekend against Abbotsford. Signed with the Anaheim Ducks in the off season, and then proceeded to destroy his knee in an injury on the first day of training camp. Part of his deal with the Ducks was that upon his return to action, he could rehab his knee in Winnipeg and play for the Moose instead of Syracuse, as Winnipeg is where Jaffray spent many years in the AHL and he also has a house and family in the ‚¬ËœPeg to boot.

GARTH MURRAY ‚¬" Last year ‚¬â„¢s Heat captain plays rough and loves a good cycle along the boards. In 46 games, #46 has just three goals and nine points, but Murray is near 100 PIMS and provides grit and leadership for the young Moose forwards.

SHAWN WELLER - Weller is having a breakout season with 22 points, including 11 goals this season. Not exactly massive numbers, but we saw first-hand what Weller can do in front of an opposition goalie.

HODGSON AND SCHROEDER ‚¬" The two blue chippers for the Canucks have had their ups and downs in their first year of pro hockey. Hodgson has lit the lamp 16 times and Schroeder 11 while Head coach Claude Noel teaches the two future Canucks the ins and outs of pro hockey. Hodgson has had a couple of stints with the Canucks this season as well.

SERGEI SHIROKOV ‚¬" the forgotten one, Shirokov now leads his team with 20 goals on the season, his second straight 20 goal campaign. Quietly leading his team in goals and points, Shirokov may be wondering when he might get another chance in Vancouver.

You can catch all the action from Winnipeg live on Country 107.1 as the Heat pay a visit to Moose Country. Catch all the Heat action, with the Diamond Bar Equipment Pre-Game Show launching things 15 minutes prior to faceoff. Dave Sheldon will have the call of the games on Friday at 5:30 PM and Sunday morning at 10 AM. All games listed are PDT.



American Hockey League Stories from March 21, 2011


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