Heat Rain on Reign's New Year's Eve Parade with 4-1 Win
Published on January 1, 2016 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release
Ontario, Calif. - The Stockton Heat rang in the New Year in style with an impressive victory over the top team in the Pacific Division when they beat the Ontario Reign by a score of 4-1 Thursday night in Ontario. Bryce Van Brabant earned first star honors, as he scored his fourth goal in as many games and now has scored in back-to-back games, while Kenny Agostino, Emile Poirier and Brett Kulak provided the other three markers. Goaltender Joni Ortio also turned in a solid performance, allowing just one goal on the 27 shots he faced tonight. The Stockton Heat will now travel back to Stockton for a weekend double-header at Stockton Arena, as the team will paint the ice following a bout with the Texas Stars at 4:00 p.m. and host the Bakersfield Condors on Sunday.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Period
HEAT GOAL: F Kenny Agostino (5) point shot gets through traffic and the rebound is kicked to the side of the crease and buried into the empty net (Kylington, Grant assists), 14:27
Shots: STK - 4 | ONT - 6
2nd Period
No goals
Shots: STK - 6 | ONT - 6
3rd Period
HEAT GOAL: F Emile Poirier (5) rebound on the nearside of the crease is backhanded past the goaltender's outstretched pad (Kylington, Arnold assists), 2:13
HEAT GOAL: F Bryce Van Brabant (6) shot from the slot goes top shelf above the the goaltender's shoulder and into the net (Arnold assist), 16:51 (PP)
Ontario goal: F Vincent LoVerde (3) shot from the top of the crease sneaks past the goaltender off a rebound (Lowry, Zykov assists), 17:13
HEAT GOAL: D Brett Kulak (1) shot from the opposite end of the ice goes the full length and trickles into the empty net (unassisted), 17:58 (EN)
Shots: STK - 9 | ONT - 15
GOALIES
W: Joni Ortio (27 shots, 26 saves)
L: Peter Budaj (18 shots, 15 saves)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
Three Stars: 1- Bryce Van Brabant (1 goal) 2- Emile Poirier (1 goal) 3- Kenny Agostino (1 goal)
Final Shots: STK - 19 | ONT - 27
Power Plays: STK - 1/7 | ONT - 0/4
Bryce Van Brabant scores his fourth goal in as many games and now has at least one goal in back-to-back games
Brett Kulak scores his first goal of the season with the game-sealing empty netter
Oliver Kylington and Bill Arnold each earn two assists a piece for Kylington's second multi-point game and Arnold's first.
The 39 penalty minutes taken by the Heat were the most this season by five minutes, the 45 by the Reign were the most a Heat opponent has taken against the team all season
It was the first win a Stockton team has gotten at Citizens Business Bank Arena since the Thunder completed a opening round Kelly Cup Playoff sweep of the ECHL's Ontario Reign on April 23, 2014 (Heat have only played Ontario on the road twice counting tonight)
The Heat are 6-0-0 when leading after two periods
It was just the second time the Heat have won after being outshot in a game. Both wins came on the road
The win snaps a four-game losing streak for the Heat
Heat captain Aaron Johnson assisted on the eventual game winner for Team Canada in the Spengler Cup as Canada wins it's 13th Spengler Cup since participating in the tournament in 1984
QUOTES
"We worked hard to cause the turnover below the goal line and [Oliver Kylington] did a good job to get the puck to the net. [Derek Grant] did a good job of getting the puck up to Oliver and it just popped out of the scrum for an easy tap in." - Kenny Agostino on his opening goal.
"Whenever guys are paying the price physically for their team it gets the guys going. There were a lot of those guys tonight for us that sacrificed their bodies for the boys and it's always nice to see that." - Agostino on the physicality of tonight's game.
"We had a nice breakout when [Jakub Nakladal] got it to me. We talked about how [the Ontario Reign] wanted to take away the middle, but he got it to me there. [Assistant Coach Todd Gill] was telling me to shoot the puck more in practice today, so I just shot it and luckily it went in." - Bryce Van Brabant on his goal tonight.
"I'd say our neutral zone and defensive zone play was just a lot cleaner than it has been. We executed our system and stayed in the right positions - that makes it easier on our defense. We got chances off our transitions and limited their chances as well." - Van Brabant on the difference between tonight and the games leading up to tonight.
"The first two periods we did a really good job limiting their chances and we felt good. They had a push there in the third, but we held on and got the goals we needed. It felt really good." - Joni Ortio on his feeling breaking a four-game skid.
"You never really think about it. Obviously you don't want to let in any goals, but if one does go in then it goes in - doesn't matter. You have to have a short memory and I've had shutouts in the past, so the big thing to focus on is that we got two points." - Ortio on if he was thinking about the shutout late in the game.
"I think the physicality is always important. We've talked about it in the past and we play better when we're physical. I think the big thing for us tonight is that we played much better as a unit of five. We defended with a purpose tonight and we were happy to see our guys get rewarded tonight." - Head Coach Ryan Huska on his team responding to the physical play tonight.
"It was probably the best game I've seen him play in a year and a half and I'm really happy that the last couple games we've seen him play it seems he has a purpose and has played well. It's nice to see and hopefully he can continue to play like that moving forward." - Coach Huska on the play of Ortio tonight.
NEXT HOME GAME
STOCKTON HEAT vs. Texas Star
January 2 @ Stockton Arena
Paint the Ice Night
Doors @ 3:00 p.m., Puck drop @ 4:00 p.m.
American Hockey League Stories from January 1, 2016
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- Rampage Open 2016 with 3-1 Loss to Gulls - San Antonio Rampage
- Iowa Comes from Behind for 4-3 Road Win - Iowa Wild
- Bridgeport drops close game to open 2016 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Falcons Drop Langhamer on Sound Tigers in 2-1 Win - Springfield Falcons
- Carruth Returned to Fuel - Rockford IceHogs
- Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Andrei Vasilevskiy, Reassign Kristers Gudlevskis to Syracuse Crunch - Syracuse Crunch
- Penguins Recall Shavertown Native Patrick McGrath - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Moose Recall Harstad from Tulsa - Manitoba Moose
- Amerks Recall Allan McPherson from Elmira - Rochester Americans
- Minnesota Wild Recalls Tyson Strachan from Iowa - Iowa Wild
- Caron Rejoins Chicago Wolves - Chicago Wolves
- Pirates Head Coach Tom Rowe Named Florida Panthers Associate General Manager - Portland Pirates
- Reign Fall 4-1 to Heat - Ontario Reign
- Heat Rain on Reign's New Year's Eve Parade with 4-1 Win - Stockton Heat
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