Heat Stay Perfect against Bakersfield with Shootout Win
February 20, 2022 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Behind two-point nights from Justin Kirkland, Matthew Phillips and Connor Mackey and shootout strikes from Connor Zary and Juuso Valimaki, the Stockton Heat (28-8-3-1) earned a hard-fought, 4-3 win Saturday over the Bakersfield Condors (20-11-4-4) at Mechanics Bank Arena.
For the first time in a month, the Heat conceded the game's first score as Cooper Marody redirected a puck past Adam Werner to take a 1-0 edge 5:09 into the action. The Heat responded with goals from Jakob Pelletier and Luke Philp in the opening frame to roar back and take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
The Condors tied the contest in the second, Dylan Holloway finding the back of the net to knot the game at two, and the teams then traded scores in the third period with Kirkland and Adam Cracknell each lighting the lamp to push the game to overtime.
After a scoreless 3-on-3 set, both teams went without a tally through three rounds of the shootout before James Hamblin put Bakersfield on the brink of victory with a score in the fourth round. Stockton countered with Zary and Valimaki potting consecutive attempts, sandwiched around a Werner stop on Holloway, to take the front end of the weekend home-and-home between the Pacific Division rivals.
NOTABLE
With two points in the game, Matthew Phillips has set a career high for points in a season with his 38th and 39th of the campaign. Phillips' previous best was 38 set in 65 games in his rookie season, 2018-19.
Luke Philp's goal was his 40th AHL score.
Justin Kirkland now has five points in the last three games and has back-to-back multi-point efforts for the second time in Stockton's last 10 tilts.
The Heat are now 4-0-0-0 on the year against Bakersfield and have won four of five games decided in a shootout.
Stockton is 6-7-1-1 on the year when conceding the first score but 2-0-0-0 against Bakersfield in such games.
SPECIAL TEAMS
STK PP - 2-for-7
STK PK - 5-for-7
THREE STARS
First - Juuso Valimaki (SO G)
Second - Justin Kirkland (1g,1a)
Third - Dylan Holloway (1g)
GOALIES
W - Adam Werner (28 saves on 31 shots faced, 4 saves in 5 shootout attempts)
SOL - Stuart Skinner (40 saves on 43 shots faced, 3 saves in 5 shootout attempts)
UP NEXT
The Heat and Condors conclude the weekend home-and-home Sunday at Stockton Arena, a 5 p.m. puck drop.
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