Heat Pound Dogs, 4-1

Published on May 6, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Heat News Release


ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - The Kid Line led the Abbotsford Heat to a 4-1 victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs in Game 4 of the second round of the Calder Cup North Division playoffs at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre Thursday.

The win evens the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

AHL Rookie Mitch Wahl led the Heat in the win with his first two professional hockey goals and an assist. Former Vancouver Giant Lance Bouma also scored his first goal as a professional. Carter Bancks rounded out the Kid Line scoring with an assist.

Bouma scored his first professional hockey goal to give the Heat a 1-0 first-period lead. The Heat had just come off the power play and was storming the Hamilton goal when the puck squirted out to Bouma and he fired it through a pile of fallen players and into the Bulldog goal.

Bancks and Wahl chipped in with assists on the goal. "We played against each other a lot in our four-year careers in the Western League and we were enemies but we've come together and it's been really nice" said Wahl.

The Heat out-played the Bulldogs in the first and outshot the opposition 12-7.

The Bulldogs put the pressure on in the second thru a series of power play opportunities. Although they failed to score the pressure paid off for the Bulldogs when Ryan Russell slid a shot from the slot past a fallen David Shantz in the Heat goal at 13:18.

Wahl restored the Heat's lead when he scored less than two minutes after the Bulldog goal. Wahl took a Brett Sutter feed in the slot and backhanded a low shot under the pads of Cedrick Desjardins. It was the former Spokane Chiefs first goal of the playoffs and restored the Heat lead after two periods.

Wahl scored his second of the game when his high-rising, one-time shot beat Desjardins under the crossbar, lifting the Heat to a 3-1 lead.

"Our kids played well since they've been here," said Heat head coach Jim Playfair. "They've earned the right to play. They've brought good energy."

David Van der Gulik added some Heat insurance when he scored his fourth goal of the playoffs at 14:35 of the third period to put the Heat up 4-1.

The same two teams face off in Game 5 Saturday at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre. Puck drop is 7 p.m.

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American Hockey League Stories from May 6, 2010


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