Heat Open Three-Game Road Trip Looking for Sixth Win in-a-Row against San Diego
February 5, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release
TONIGHT
The Stockton Heat kick off a three-game road trip after the conclusion of the All-Star break tonight against the San Diego Gulls.
Things are going really well for Stockton as the team saw some extended time at Stockton Arena during the month of January and finished the month 8-2-1-0 and on a five-game win streak, four of which came at home.
As for the Gulls who've dealt with an injury riddled past couple months, they are stumbling into February having gone 4-6-1-0 in the month of January and finishing with losses in their last two games.
LAST TIME VS. SAN DIEGO
You have to go exactly a month back for the last meeting between the Heat and Gulls as back on December 5 the pair met up in Stockton for the second time this season.
Kenny Agostino got the scoring started in the first on the power play but Kyle Bonis got things tied up early in the second. The teams traded a goal a side later on in the second to head into the third tied at two.
However Derek Grant scored a pair, one on the power play and another into the empty net while shorthanded to give the Heat the 4-2 win over San Diego. A total of 72 penalty minutes were dished out in that game on 22 total infractions between the teams.
WHO TO WATCH
While the status quo in us says to keep an eye on the goalies tonight, it's no question that the true player to watch will be Mason Raymond, who was recently assigned to the Heat from the Calgary Flames.
Raymond, 30, has played 542 games in the NHL scoring 115 goals and 251 points with the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames. Known as a speedy, two-way winger, Raymond may find himself making his Heat debut tonight and we would assume he'd slot in on the first line and be paired with centerman Derek Grant, who could help Raymond get out of his offensive drought he's found himself in this season.
We don't make the lineups but we imagine the speed of those two players could be a tough thing to matchup against for the Gulls tonight.
Should Mason suit up tonight for the Heat tonight, it'd be his first AHL game since January 15, 2008 when his Manitoba Moose fell by one to the San Antonio Rampage. Raymond had a goal in that game for the Moose.
A LEAGUE HONOR FOR THE HEAT'S ALL-STAR
Time and time again in these Gameday Blogs do we talk about something that Derek Grant did. He's been a special player for the Heat this year as he's now matched his career high in goals with 21 and is just two assists and points back of tying his career high in assists (17) and points (38). Oh...and he's only played 28 games.
Well apart from leading the team in goals, points and tied for the lead in assists, he was named the Heat's first All-Star and performed well at the All-Star Classic, winning the CCM Fastest Skater Competition with a time of 14.307 and finished tied with San Diego's Nick Ritchie for the Pacific Division lead in goals (2) and points (3).
Well the honors kept rolling in for Granter as he was named the CCM/AHL Player of the Month of January after he scored 10 goals and had 9 assists in 10 games for the Heat. Stockton went 8-1-1-0 with Grant in the lineup during the first month of 2016.
Now the reigning PotM will look to continue his success into February. Grant has goals in two-straight (4) and points in three straight (4-4-8). In total Grant has been held without a point in just eight games this season.
DEFENSMAN MOVING UP MIGHT BRING CAPTAIN BACK IN
With Jakub Nakladal receiving the call up to Calgary for the second time this season earlier this week, we could see the Stockton Heat captain, Aaron Johnson, back on the blueline to provide that veteran, calming presence on the blueline.
Johnson has been great this year, and in particular recently, as he has points in two-straight (1-3-4) and leads the Heat active defenseman in points with 14. Johnson's +4 rating is second best on the team next to Derek Grant (+10) and is the best of the blueliners, however Dustin Stevenson (+3) and Brett Kulak (+2) are right behind him.
IMPACT ON THE STANDINGS
Tonight the Heat and Gulls collide in an important matchup as the Pacific Division remains very tightly packed in the win percentage column.
From the second placed Texas Stars to the seventh placed San Antonio Rampage, just .07 separates the teams in the standings, meaning a big win streak or a big losing streak could propel or sink a team's playoff chances.
As the Heat currently sit fourth, they would not make the playoffs due to a qualifications rule before the season. Should the fifth placed team in the Central Division have a better win percentage than the fourth placed Pacific Division team, the Central team would compete in the Pacific Division bracket and knock out the fourth placed team.
Stockton, who sits at .527 is behind the fifth placed Lake Erie Monsters who currently are at .567 so the Heat still have work to be done.
The better scenario for Stockton would be to finish third or better in the Pacific which is a real possibility. San Jose, who currently holds the third place spot, has a .561 win percentage but has played four more games then the Heat.
With a regulation win tonight, Stockton would climb to .539 and if San Jose loses in regulation tonight to Ontario, they'd fall to .548, closing the gap between the teams.
A loss of any kind tonight would most certainly see San Diego jump over the Heat in the standings and potentially Bakersfield as well if they can beat the Milwaukee Admirals in Bakersfield tonight.
Still early to tell how the playoff scenario will play out but never too early to start crunching the numbers to see how close the Pacific really is.
INTERESTING FACT
The Heat and Gulls have met up four times this season, twice at Valley View Casino Center over Halloween weekend and twice at Stockton Arena. While Stockton has the series advantage having gone 2-1-0-1 against San Diego, the team that has picked up two points has been the home team in every matchup between them.
Stockton has not won back-to-back road contests this year but with a Midwestern win over the Iowa Wild kicking off the Heat's current five-game win streak, perhaps the confidence will be there tonight for the visitors to come away with the first road win in the history of this matchup.
Wednesday, February 5, 2016
Arena: Valley View Casino Center
Date: February 5, 2016
Time: 7:05 p.m. PST
Broadcast: AHL Live, Spreaker & iHeartRadio beginning at 6:50 p.m. PST
Leading Scorer: STOCKTON: F Derek Grant (28GP, 21-15-36)
SAN DIEGO: D Brandon Montour (39GP, 6-26-32)
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 Joni Ortio puck.
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