Heat Look for Fourth-Straight Win with Midweek Clash in San Jose
January 6, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release
TONIGHT
The Stockton Heat look to extend their three-game winning streak, as they take their hot play on the road to San Jose for a Wednesday showdown with the Barracuda.
Stockton will try to carry the momentum they've built since the calendar turned, while San Jose is riding a three-game winning streak of their own heading into tonight's contest.
LAST TIME VS. SAN JOSE
The Heat returned from the holiday break with a game against the Condors that didn't go their way, but the following day the team was at the SAP Center in San Jose and would once again not get the result they wanted as the Barracuda scored the first 4 goals of the game in the first 31:48 of the game.
The Heat would eventually fall to the Barracuda 5-1 with Derek Grant scoring the lone goal for the Heat.
San Jose's Barclay Goodrow continued to perform well against Stockton as he notched a two-goal performance powering the home team past Stockton for the third time this season in San Jose.
WHO TO WATCH
It seems that more often than not Derek grant is the player we talk about in this section, but it's for good reason.
He's the Heat's top scorer in points (20) and goals (14) and is currently tied for seventh in the AHL in goals - just three behind the leader.
Grant's 14 goals this season are only seven less than his career high of 21, which he registered last season. Oh, by the way, those 21 goals came in 73 games while his current 14 have come in just 20 games.
The Abbotsford, BC native has 12 points in his last nine games and is currently riding his second three-game point streak of the season. Grant has only once failed to register a point against San Jose, so watch for him to continue his recent success tonight against the Barracuda.
HEY ARNOLD!
Heat forward Bill Arnold has put together quite the resume during the team's three-game winning streak.
His two goals and four assists over the last three games are the most points (6) for any Stockton player during a three-game span this season.
Known as a two-way centerman, Arnold has really turned some heads with his latest run of points and has shown no signs of slowing down.
He crashes the net hard every chance he gets and has earned some gritty points over the last three tilts.
If he's able to extend the streak to four games tonight, it would tie his longest point streak ever in his AHL career - something he accomplished twice last season in Adirondack.
IN SEARCH OF FIRST 'W' AT SAP
The SAP Center in San Jose has not been kind to the Heat this season, dropping all three decisions in their trips to the building thus far.
Moreover, Stockton has allowed 15 goals in their three trips and have lost all three games in fashions that Coach Huska and the boys would like to eradicate tonight.
However, no Heat team previously has arrived in San Jose on such a high note. This Heat team is confident and ready coming off of three-straight wins over three of the top four teams in the Pacific Division.
Tonight could make it a fourth-straight over all four teams at the top of the division.
WELL IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN
After missing 15 games due to a lower body injury, goalie Kevin Poulin is back in the mix for the Stockton Heat and could receive the nod to go against the team he suffered his freak injury against back on November 21, the San Jose Barracuda, however, in a different building.
Poulin, who was acquired by the Calgary Flames in a trade back in November with the Tampa Bay Lightning, played his first game of the season on November 13 for the Heat in San Antonio, losing in the shootout, but rattled off two straight wins, including a 21-save shutout against the San Diego Gulls, before getting his fourth-straight start against the Barracuda on November 21.
After allowing the first goal of the shootout, Poulin fell back in pain and would leave after facing one shot. He had made 30 saves on 33 shots in that game before goalie Kent Simpson would come in to replace Poulin and get his first AHL win of the season in dramatic fashion.
With Simpson loaned to Adirondack, Poulin will help ease the load off of Joni Ortio who started 15-straight games for the Stockton Heat. If Poulin starts tonight in San Jose, it'd be the first time since November 25 that a non-Finnish netminder will get the call for the Heat.
Poulin is 2-0-1 with a 2.40 goals-against-average and 0.918 save-percentage in just 4 games played this season.
INTERESTING FACT
The big club in San Jose recently called up goaltender Troy Grosenick while reassigning goalie Alex Stalock to the San Jose Barracuda. Stalock got the nod in goal during the Barracuda's 5-1 win on Sunday against the Texas Stars and stopped 21 of 22 shots.
Interestingly enough, Stalock has a connection with Stockton hockey as he once called Stockton Arena home for a brief spell during the 2011-12 season as he played 6 games with the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL. Stalock went 5-1-0 during his time with the Thunder, posting a 2.83 goals-against-average and 0.914 save-percentage.
He's a veteran of 59 games in the NHL all with the San Jose Sharks. He's played 10 games this season going 2-5-0 for the Sharks. Prior to his current time with the Barracuda, Stalock last played in the AHL during the 2012-13 season with the Worcester Sharks.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Arena: SAP Center
Date: January 6, 2016
Time: 7:30 p.m. PST
Broadcast: AHL Live, Spreaker & iHeartRadio beginning at 7:15 p.m. PST
Leading Scorer: STOCKTON: F Derek Grant (20GP, 14-6-20)
SAN JOSE: F Ryan Carpenter (27GP, 5-20-25)
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 Kenny Agostino puck.
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