Heat Face Must-Win Game against Reign at Stockton Arena
Arena: Stockton Arena
Date: April 11, 2018
Time: 7:00 p.m. PST
Broadcast: AHL Live, Spreaker and iHeartRadio at 6:45 p.m.
LEADING SCORER: STOCKTON: LW Morgan Klimchuk (62GP 19-21-40)
ONTARIO: LW Michael Mersch (62GP 21-26-47)
TONIGHT
Stockton looks to keep their playoff hopes alive as they host the Ontario Reign, still searching for their first win this season against their SoCal rival having posted an 0-5-1-0 record against the Reign this season.
It’s our final Wing It Wednesday, where fans can purchase $.50 wings and $4 bottomless popcorn throughout the night! Need tickets to tonight’s game, fans can purchase a four pack of tickets featuring four hats, four hot dogs and 4 sodas for just $44 by visiting stocktonheat.com/finalfourpack or by calling 209.373.1500.
Tonight fans with parking passes in the North Lot will have to relocate due to the baseball game to either the Arena Garage or the Fremont West or East lots. Additional parking will be made available at the EDD Lot across from the hotel.
LAST TIME VS. ONTARIO
After Philippe Maillet and Alex Lintuniemi snuck shots past Ryan Faragher in the first period, but Ryan Lomberg’s sixth goal of the season in the second cut the deficit to within one.
However, Cal Petersen kept the door shut the rest of the way, stopping 18 shots in the third period, while also getting a Sam Herr empty netter to complete the 3-1 win over Stockton.
WHO TO WATCH
There might be some debate who’s been the team’s MVP all season long, but no question that high on that list would be Rasmus Andersson, who’ll be back in a Heat sweater for the first time since St. Patrick’s Day.
After the finale against Tucson, Andersson headed to Calgary, where he’d end up totaling 11 games played for the big club after an injury to TJ Brodie forced the call-up.
But at the time of his call-up, Andersson was one of the leagues best defensemen and was also leading all Heat blueliners in points (38) and assists (30).
Without Andersson in the lineup for eight games, the Heat went 3-5-0, so getting the talented defender back in the lineup will be a big boost to the club as they try to push for the postseason.
WHAT’S THE SITCH
There are only two ways that the Stockton Heat can grab hold of the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. First off, the San Diego Gulls must lose all three games they have remaining (Wed. vs. TUC, Fri/Sat @ TUC) in regulation.
Stockton must also win all three of their games remaining (Wed. vs. ONT, Fri. @ ONT, Sat. vs. SJ). Should they win all their games in regulation or overtime, the Heat would have 33 Regulation/OT Wins (ROW) to San Diego’s 32 ROW.
Stockton can still get in even if one game goes to a shootout as the team would go ahead of San Diego on the second tie breaker with a better record against SD (5-2-0-1) then the Gulls have posted against the Heat (3-4-0-1) this season
FOOZIE EARNS HIS FIRST CALL, SCORES HIS FIRST GOAL
Since the calendar turned to 2018, Spencer Foo has been putting up the offense, having scored 14 goals and 24 of his 37 points in 2018 (64.9% of his entire offensive production).
With his goal on March 24 against Manitoba, Foo became the third rookie in Heat history, and just the seventh rookie player for the Flames AHL affiliate since 2005-06 to record a 20-goal season (Dustin Boyd-27, Mark Jankowski-27, Markus Granlund-25, David Moss-21, David Wolf-20, Andrew Mangiapane-20).
Foo earned his first NHL call-up to Calgary during and made his NHL Debut on March 31 against his hometown team, the Edmonton Oilers at the Saddledome, following teammates Andrew Mangiapane, Ryan Lomberg and Morgan Klimchuk as Heat players to make their NHL debuts for the Flames as AHL call-ups this season.
He then tallied his first two NHL goals in his last two NHL games to end the season.
DUBE TURNING PRO
Dillon Dube could be turning pro for good after a terrific junior career with the Kelowna Rockets, finishing as the team’s 9thbest goal scorer in team history (101) and tied-7th best point getter (232).
The captain of the gold medal winning Team Canada World Junior team this season, Dube turns 20 this off-season, which does keep him eligible for an overage year, but the numbers show Dube is ready for his chance at pro hockey.
However, Dube has been playing some great hockey, having recorded his first pro point, an assist, on Saturday in San Jose, and even added a second for his first multi-point game. In his first three regular season pro games, Dube has posted 2 assists and a minus-1 rating.
INTERESTING FACT
Spencer Foo leads the Heat in points against the Reign with 2 goals and 2 assists in 6 games against the Reign this season.
