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AHL Stockton Heat

Heat Visit SAP Center for First Time at 7:30

December 4, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release


TONIGHT

The Heat head to San Jose for the first time this year to battle the Barracuda at the SAP Center. This is the third meeting of the season between these teams who have split the season series 1-1.

The Heat are coming off of a win on the back half of the weekend home-and-home series against the Condors while the Barracuda fell to Texas at home 3-2 last Sunday. The Barracuda are playing their third game of a five-game home stand while the Heat play in San Jose tonight and are set to return to Stockton Arena tomorrow night against the San Diego Gulls hoping to bring two-straight victories into their home barn.

LAST TIME VS. SAN JOSE

It was a wild and crazy last meeting in Stockton between the Heat and Barracuda that saw the Heat score twice to take the lead after 20 minutes only to see San Jose rattle off three straight to capture the lead.

The Heat needed a tying marker in the later stages of the third period to tie the game and they'd get the heroics from Emile Poirier, who picked a great time to score his first goal of the season, which sent the game to extra time.

It ended up that the extra five minutes of three-on-three action wasn't enough as the teams headed to the shootout, which ended up being one of the strangest and most dramatic skills competitions Stockton Arena fans have ever seen.

The shootout began with Kenny Agostino beating Troy Grosenick to give the Heat the lead. However John McCarthy would tie it in the first round just getting the puck past goalie Kevin Poulin. Unfortunately for the Heat netminder who had made 30 of 33 stops, a freak lower body injury on that shot ended his night as the goalie left the game injured prompting Head Coach Ryan Huska to signal for the cold Kent Simpson to come into the game.

In the fifth round of the shootout, Freddie Hamilton beat his former teammate in Grosenick to put the pressure on Barclay Goodrow. Simpson was able to make the save to earn himself, and the Heat, the 4-3 victory.

WHO TO WATCH

In October 2013, a 21-year-old Freddie Hamilton debuted in the NHL for the San Jose Sharks on the road. It wouldn't be until December 10, 2013 for Hamilton to make his home debut at the "Shark Tank" for the Sharks.

Now in the Flames organization, Hamilton has the opportunity to go back to the place where his dream of being an NHL'er came true.

In total, Hamilton played just three of his 12 games with the Sharks at home, however being on the other side of the dressing room with the Heat must bring back some fun memories.

Do you know what else was a fun memory? Freddie Hamilton's month of November as the forward scored twice and added 6 assists to lead the team in points during the month (along with Drew Shore) with eight.

Hamilton has been a huge part of the Stockton Heat this season, whether it be as a defensively responsible, faceoff-winning centerman, or as a player the Heat can count on when they need to put some points on the board. Seeing him return to the first barn he ever called "home" in the NHL might just help spark Hamilton to have a special night at the "Barracuda Tank".

Keep your eye on Hamilton who'd like to continue his hot November into the final month of the calendar year.

SHORE PICKING UP POINTS IN BUNCHES

While Hamilton may narrowly edge out Drew Shore in the "who to watch" category based on the fact he once called San Jose home, Shore certainly is right there with Hamilton as a player to watch against the Barracuda tonight.

Why?

Not only did Shore match Hamilton's team leading 8 points during the Month of November, but he also has points in his last three games (4 assists).

This isn't the first time Shore has been on a three-game point streak as he found himself with points (1-3-4) from November 13 through November 18.

His three-game streak is already the longest in Heat team history and he'll look to push that mark to four games tonight against San Jose.

FIRSTS ALL-AROUND FOR THE "BIG RIG"....PART TWO!

Very rarely can we use virtually the same paragraph in a Gameday Blog two games in a row, but forward Hunter "Big Rig" Smith is allowing us to do that by doing something for the first time in his pro career over the weekend.

On Friday night at home against Bakersfield, Smith earned his first pro point when he assisted on Hamilton's bar-in snipe job in the second period.

The feeling of his first point, though, would later be multiplied when he was credited with his first pro goal less than three minutes into the third period. Smith was able to poke the puck past Laurent Brossoit as he made a hard drive to the net and the rebound bounced off his pants and bounced near his stick.

We said in the last gameday blog that we "hoped his first multi-point effort would carry into his next few games and become a trend for the "Big Rig'" and wouldn't you know, that's exactly what happened.

Smith was a beneficiary of a funny bounce off the stanchions. At center ice, Shore chipped the puck in deep as the rookie power forward chased down the puck. It took a "good" bounce away from the Condor defenseman and right on the stick of Smith's, who just flipped the puck to the back door where Blair Riley would bury his third of the season.

And for the first time in his pro career, Smith now has points in back-to-back games.

INTERESTING FACT

Joni Ortio may not have had the debut he wanted to for the Heat last Friday on home ice, but the talented goalie bounced back to earn the first star honors in a 30 save on 32 shot win against the Condors on Saturday.

For Ortio it was his 50th career AHL victory, all of which he's picked up in the Calgary Flames organization.

Friday, December 4, 2015

Arena: SAP Center

Date: December 4, 2015

Time: 7:30 p.m. PST

Broadcast: AHL Live, Spreaker & iHeartRadio beginning at 7:15 p.m. PST

Leading Scorer: STOCKTON: C Freddie Hamilton (14GP, 5-6-11)

SAN JOSE: RW Ryan Carpenter (18GP, 1-10-11)

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 Blair Riley puck.

Check out the Stockton Heat Statistics

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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