Aurora Collision Game Day Report: Heat Start Weekend Home-And-Home Against Bakersfield Friday
Matchup: Stockton Heat (29-16-4-3; 3rd Pacific) vs. Bakersfield Condors (20-26-5-3; 6th Pacific) 
Arena: Stockton Arena | Stockton, California
Date: Friday, March 6, 2020
Time: 7:00 p.m. PST
Broadcast: Watch tonight’s game on AHLTV or hear Stockton’s radio call on Spreaker and iHeartRadio. Listeners in the Stockton area can also hear the game on Fox Sports Radio 1280.
Join the Conversation: For live, in-game tweets, follow the Heat on Twitter. Join the conversation by replying to our updates or using the hashtag #STKvsBAK.
Chase Chevrolet Big Moment of the Game: Stay tuned on Twitter following the game for a chance to enter to win a puck signed by Nick Schneider with our Chase Chevrolet Big Moment of the Game selection!
TONIGHT
Stockton looks to snap out of a two-game skid as the Heat play host to the Bakersfield Condors Friday night at Stockton Arena, the front end of a weekend home-and-home with the sixth-place club in the Pacific Division. The Heat are coming off the club’s first shutout of the season, a 2-0 setback against Iowa and AHL Goalie of the Month Kaapo Kahkonen.
The Heat have won three straight over Bakersfield at Stockton Arena by a combined 15-6, dating back to December 7. The Condors have lost nine consecutive games won only one of their last 12 contests.
BATTLE OF HIGHWAY 99
Stockton holds the upper hand in this season’s Battle of Highway 99, the AHL’s iteration of the Battle of Alberta with affiliates of the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers squaring off. Tonight’s game is the 10th of 12 meetings between the clubs this season, Stockton coming in with six wins and points in seven of nine tilts between the teams. The Heat, who have outscored the Condors 36-28 on the year, are seeking their fourth-straight win over the Condors on home ice.
RACE TO THE FINISH
Stockton is in the thick of a tight Pacific Division playoff race, entering the week in third place with 65 points through 52 games. Stockton is six points back of division leader Tucson and holds a narrow, two-point cushion over fifth-place San Diego. The Heat are tied with second-place Colorado for the fewest games played to date, each club with 52.
WORKING OVERTIME
Tonight’s contest is the first of a sprint of six games through March 18, coming on the heels of playing in only two since February 23. The Heat will face off against Bakersfield in each of the first two then skate against the San Jose Barracuda, followed by a weekend set against Colorado and capped on the 18th with a showdown against the Ontario Reign.
HOME ICE ADVANTAGE
After dropping the first five meetings of the season, the home team has won each of the last four in the series between Stockton and Bakersfield – three of those wins going to Stockton. The Heat enter tonight’s game 13-9-3-1 on the year on home ice while Bakersfield is 12-3-0-2 in road games.
STARTING ON TIME
Tonight’s tilt is between teams on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to protecting early leads, the Heat with the seventh-best mark of 19-4-2-2 and the Condors the second-worst in the AHL with a .567 point percentage, leading only the San Jose Barracuda and their .545 mark.
