Heat Drop Saturday Clash With Tucson, 5-2
STOCKTON, Calif. – Special teams was the difference on Saturday as the Tucson Roadrunners capitalized with four goals – three coming on 5-on-3 power plays – outside of even-strength situations, outracing Stockton to a 5-2 final at Stockton Arena. Tyler Graovac got the scoring started, finding twine off a feed from Dillon Dube for his 21st goal of the season, matching his career high set in 2014-15 with Iowa. Tucson then rattled off four unanswered, two 5-on-3 strikes and a shorthanded marker, to seize control of the game. The Heat scored at 4:05 of the third, Curtis Lazar picking a corner with a slap shot, but the Roadrunners got the last score with a power play score with just 9:02 left in the game, yielding the final 5-2 count.
SCORING AND PENALTY SUMMARY
GOALIES
W: Adin Hill (25 shots, 23 saves)
L: Jon Gillies (30 shots, 25 saves)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
Three Stars: First – Lane Pederson (1g,2a), Second – Michael Bunting (2g), Third – Michael Chaput (2g)
Final Shots: STK – 25, TUC – 30
Power Plays: STK – 1-7, TUC – 3-9
– The game represented a pair of milestones for the Heat, with Scott Sabourin skating in his 300th professional game, Ryan Lomberg’s 200th.
– Tucson’s trio of 5-on-3 goals represented the first scores conceded by Stockton’s PK at home since Feb. 17 against Colorado, the Heat falling just short of a full month of perfection on the penalty kill.
– Stockton’s goal from Tyler Graovac was his 21st of the season, tying his career high set in 2014-15 with the Iowa Wild.
– Dillon Dube registered an assist on Graovac’s marker, giving the rookie points (5g,8a) in six of the last eight games.
– Curtis Lazar lit the lamp in the third period, his first point since Feb. 9 after a stint with Calgary that lasted three weeks.
– Jon Gillies got his 11th-consecutive starting nod in the contest.
UP NEXT
The Heat play host to the Iowa Wild on Friday and Sunday to close out March’s home slate.
