Heat Begin Long Road Trip in Texas at 5:30 PST
Arena: H-E-B Center
Date: March 24, 2017
Time: 5:30 p.m. PST
Broadcast: AHL Live, Spreaker & iHeartRadio beginning at 5:15 p.m. PST
LEADING SCORER: STOCKTON: F Mark Jankowski (54GP, 24-22-46)
TEXAS: F Travis Morin (64GP, 20-29-49)
PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS
With the season wrapping up we want to give you all the scenarios to understand what can happen depending on the outcome of tonight’s contests in the Pacific Division, and since it’s not as easy as looking just at the points, we want to show you the playoff scenario, which you can see below, with the teams in GREEN currently sitting in a playoff spot.
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Current Pts | Current PCT | PCT with W | PCT with OT/SOL | PCT with L |
| 1 | x- San Jose | 58 | 38 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 82 | 0.707 | 0.712 | 0.703 | 0.695 |
| 2 | San Diego | 58 | 38 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 81 | 0.698 | 0.703 | 0.695 | 0.686 |
| 3 | Ontario | 58 | 30 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 70 | 0.603 | 0.610 | 0.602 | 0.593 |
| 4 | Bakersfield | 57 | 28 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 62 | 0.544 | 0.552 | 0.543 | 0.534 |
| 5 | Stockton | 57 | 27 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 59 | 0.518 | 0.526 | 0.517 | 0.509 |
| 6 | Texas | 64 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 4 | 63 | 0.492 | 0.500 | 0.492 | 0.485 |
| 7 | Tucson | 58 | 24 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 55 | 0.474 | 0.483 | 0.475 | 0.466 |
| 8 | San Antonio | 64 | 25 | 32 | 5 | 2 | 57 | 0.445 | 0.454 | 0.446 | 0.438 |
Tonight the Heat cannot regain the fourth placed spot tonight but a Heat win coupled with a Bakersfield Condors loss against the San Diego Gulls tonight could put the Heat once again within striking distance of the fourth spot. Stockton has Texas again tomorrow night while the Condors continue to play San Diego.
The only clinching scenario in the Pacific tonight is for San Diego. If they beat Bakersfield they have clinched a spot in the playoffs. They can also clinch a spot should the Heat fall in any fashion tonight in Texas.
HEAT365 – WHERE IT’S ALWAYS HOCKEY SEASON
Heat365 is a new and exclusive all-encompassing membership that provides more value than ever. This membership not only includes your season tickets, but also a wide range of other benefits and year-round activities.
Fans will receive many exclusive perks like access to Member-only events with the team, early entry to Stockton Arena through a private entrance and even membership gifts, which will include a specially designed hat, blanket, collector pin and travel mug during the first season of the new initiative available only through Heat365.
For a list of all benefits and how to join visit StocktonHeat.com/Heat365 or call the Heat Front Office at 209.373.1500.
TONIGHT
After splitting the weekend with the San Jose Barracuda, the Heat take to the road for the longest road trip of the year, playing three at the H-E-B Center against the Texas Stars and two against the San Antonio Rampage during their five-game road trip.
The Heat have 11 games remaining during the regular season. Please note that tonight’s game, which was scheduled to be on Sportsnet 960 the Fan in Calgary has been changed as the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL who kick off their first-round matchup with the Regina Pats tonight. Tuesday’s game scheduled on Sportsnet has also been changed due to the playoff schedule.
Fans can still catch the game live on Spreaker, iHeartRadio and AHL Live!
LAST TIME VS. TEXAS
The teams finished half of their season series as the final game in Stockton saw the home team earn the 4-1 win. Daniel Pribyl scored in the first period followed by Ethan Werek in the second before the Heat rattled off three straight goals including markers from Mark Jankowski, Hunter Smith and Garnet Hathaway to seal the win. David Rittich stopped 27 of 28 to pick up the win, his first appearance against the Stars.
WHO TO WATCH
While a starter hasn’t been announced, one can assume that Jon Gillies will get the nod between the pipes for the Heat tonight in Texas, making him the “who to watch”.
Jon is 3-0-0-0 against the Texas Stars in his career allowing just 2 goals against in those three games. Two of those wins have come this year for the Heat back at Stockton Arena but Gillies won the other at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas last year, which also happened to be his second career shutout in just his third pro game!
A memorable third-period save on Stars captain Travis Morin kept the game even and Freddie Hamilton’s lone goal helped the Heat preserve the win as Gillies stopped 36-saves for the win.
Gillies is coming off a stretch where he was summoned to Calgary on an emergency basis and served the Flames as a backup last week. Once Brian Elliott returned from his illness, Gillies was assigned back to Stockton where he’s won three of his last five starts.
Since Rittich played three-straight games during Gillies’ recall, we think Gillies will get the nod tonight in Texas, and with a track record like his, for the Heat to get the victory the goalie will have to put in another great performance against the Stars.
LONE STAR STATE OF MIND:
The Heat have gone 7-1-1-0 all-time against the Stars in 9 games against, outscoring them 32-21 in that span. At the H-E-B Center, the Heat are 2-1-0-0 and if you include the home of the Rampage, Stockton is 3-2-0-1 all-time in the state of Texas.
JANKOWSKI ATOP THE ROOKIE LEADERBOARD
Rookie centerman Mark Jankowski sits atop the rookie goal scoring leaders with 24 goals in 54 games for the Heat this season, and ranks third in the AHL rookie scoring race with 46 points.
Since 2005-06 only five rookies have scored 20 or more goals for the Flames AHL affiliate. Jankowski is one away from tying Markus Granlund (ABB) who had 25 goals in 52 games and is three away from tying Dustin Boyd (OMA) who had 27 in 66 games, the most by a Flames AHL rookie since 05-06.
He surpassed 50 career AHL points on Friday night with a goal and an assist against San Jose.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
This five-game road trip matches the longest stretch away from home in Heat history, which occurred from March 19 through the 26th during the 2015-16 season. The Heat posted a 1-4-0-0 record on that trip.
Last season the Heat went 10-21-1-2 away from Stockton Arena and will look to tie that mark tonight and surpass that during this current road trip. After going 13-straight games without a win on the road, Stockton has won two of their last three road games.
LOMBERG INKS FIRST NHL DEAL
On Sunday the Flames announced the signing of Heat forward Ryan Lomberg to his first NHL contract, a two-year, two-way deal which begins during the 2015-16 season.
Having been on an AHL contract the last two seasons, Lomberg has played a total of 72 AHL games, all with the Heat, recording 8 goals and 14 assists for 22 career AHL points. He’s also notched 157 career AHL PIMS, including 115 from this year.
INTERESTING FACT
Besides the potential for Adam Ollas Mattsson to make his AHL debut this trip, Oliver Kylington is two games from playing his 100th AHL game, Matt Frattin is 3 goals shy of 100 pro goals and Brandon Bollig is 5 games away from playing his 200th AHL game.
