Shantz Stellar In Heat Win 3-2

March 13, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Heat News Release


ABBOTSFORD BC - David Shantz was stellar in goal, stopping 38 of 40 shots as the Abbotsford Heat edged the Lake Erie Monsters 3-2 in the shootout on Friday night in the Fraser Valley.

David Van der Gulik opened the scoring for the Heat on a brilliant individual effort. Van der Gulik was out killing a Heat penalty when he intercepted a Lake Erie drop pass at the Monster blue line. Van der Gulik raced in and tried to finesse a shot under the fallen Lake Erie goalie, Jon Grahame. The rebound came back out to the Heat forward, who picked it up and slipped it in the corner of the net for a shorthanded, unassisted goal with just over five minutes left in the first.

Radek Smolenak would double the lead at 17:50 of the first period. Smolenak was able to use JD Watt as a decoy, before firing a shot over the shoulder of Grahame. Smolenak fired home his eighth goal of the season to give the Heat a 2-0 lead.

Ryan Stoa scored for the Monsters in the second round of the shootout. Sutter evened the shootout with a beautiful backhand goal in the fourth round and Murray salted away the win with a shot that beat Monster goaltender John Grahame for the winning goal in the fifth round.

Ryan Stoa cut the Heat lead in half with less than ten minutes to play in the third period. Stoa would convert a T.J. Hensick pass from behind the net for his 19th of the season at 10:48.

With just over four minutes to play, the Monsters would draw even with a goal by Brett Skinner. Skinner would take a feed from Darren Haydar, and after a great save from Shantz, would bury his own rebound to tie the game at 15:59 of period three.

The Heat had the best opportunities in the overtime period but Grahame was equal to the challenge, turning aside two stellar Heat scoring chances, including robbing Keith Seabrook with a glove save.

In the shootout, David Shantz would stop four of five shots while Garth Murray and Brett Sutter each scored shootout goals to give the Heat their third victory in four tries over their North Division rivals from Cleveland.

The same two teams face-off again Saturday. The puck drops at 4 p.m. at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre.



American Hockey League Stories from March 13, 2010


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