Heat Out for Revenge as Team Completes Home-and-Home with San Jose at 1:15PM
Arena: SAP Center
Date: April 7, 2018
Time: 1:15 p.m. PST
Broadcast: AHL Live, Spreaker and iHeartRadio at 1:00 p.m.
LEADING SCORER: STOCKTON: LW Morgan Klimchuk (61GP 19-20-39)
SAN JOSE: LW Rudolfs Balcers (63GP 21-24-45)
TONIGHT
The Heat are out for revenge as the team completes a home-and-home series with the San Jose Barracuda. While there is still another meeting between the clubs after this game ends, this will be the road finale for the Heat at the SAP Center, and for the first time are assured a winning record in San Jose all-time having posted a 3-1-1-0 record.
LAST TIME VS. SAN JOSE
The Barracuda built a 3-0 lead through the first 30-minutes of the contest but Mike McMurtry’s goal helped the Heat get back into the contest. The Barracuda didn’t rest though as the team potted a pair of goals to take a 5-1 lead before Ryan Lomberg and McMurtry combined for the second time of the night.
San Jose added an empty netter to win the game 6-2. Stockton is now 5-4-1-0 in the season series with two meetings (counting tonight) remaining.
WHO TO WATCH
While it may not be the same when he’s not on a pairing with Rasmus Andersson, but Tyler Wotherspoon knotted up his buddy for the team lead in assists last night with his 30th helper of the season.
While the duo combined to be the most formidable pair of defenders in the AHL, solo, Wotherspoon still ranks among the AHL elite, tied for eighth among all AHL blueliners with 38 points.
Look for Wotherspoon, who is tied with Ryan Lomberg on the active roster for the most points against the Barracuda this season with six, to continue to play well against the Heat’s NorCal rival.
BACK TO BACK FOR MURCH
It’s been a heck of a second half for Heat center Mike McMurtry. Despite only having played in 29 games for the Heat, McMurtry has been playing some of his best hockey lately, having posted 10 of his 14 points (4-6-10) in his last 15 games.
He’s also just a point away from matching his career best season in fewer games as last year as a rookie with the Texas Stars, McMurtry posted 7 goals and 8 assists in his 47 game stint with the Stars. Named an ECHL All-Star this season, McMurtry has just posted his second and third multi-point efforts in his last two games with a pair of goals and a pair of assists.
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 NHL goal last night when a Michael Stone point shot deflected off his skate and into the net.
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.
BACK TO BACK FOR MURCH
He’s been a real thorn in the side of the Stockton Heat for parts of the last two seasons, but last night, San Jose defenseman Tim Heed suited up against the Heat for the first time and picked up right where he left off by scoring a goal.
That now gives Heed 3 goals and 10 assists in 12 career games against the Heat.
INTERESTING FACT
Two players are very near milestones as Colin Smith’s next point will be his 200th AHL point while Tyler Wotherspoon is two points away from his 100th AHL point.
