HEAT ERASE EARLY DEFICIT IN SEVENTH-STRAIGHT WIN
Box Score | Photos | Love Postgame | Phillips Postgame | Tuulola Postgame
STOCKTON, Calif. – Despite falling behind early, the Stockton Heat (7-0-1-0) rallied with second period goals from Eetu Tuulola and Matthew Phillips in a 2-1 win Saturday to finish off a weekend sweep of the Abbotsford Canucks (3-4-2-0) at Stockton Arena.
Sheldon Rempal lit the lamp just over five minutes into game action to put the Canucks ahead, a lead that lasted for 22 minutes and 17 seconds until Tuulola’s equalizer – a span longer than the total time the Heat had trailed all season coming into Saturday’s contest.
For the second consecutive night a momentum swing came on the heels of a penalty kill, the Heat erasing a man disadvantage and lighting the lamp just 14 seconds later with Tuulola tapping in a feed from Glenn Gawdin. Stockton then jumped on top 39 seconds later, Phillips’ 100th career point coming on a top-corner snipe on the power play for the decisive 2-1 edge.
The Heat penalty kill helped lead the way for the home team with a 5-for-5 effort, and netminder Adam Werner stopped 25 of 26 shots faced while going a perfect 14-for-14 over the final two periods as the Heat sealed their seventh-consecutive win.
NOTABLE
- The 1-0 deficit at the first intermission was the first time all year Stockton was not tied or ahead at a break.
- Eetu Tuulola’s game-tying score in the second period was his first goal of the season.
- With an assist on Tuulola’s goal, Glenn Gawdin extended his scoring streak to six games with eight points (1g, 7a) in that span.
- Matthew Phillips notched his 100th career AHL point with his goal in the second. He became the fifth player in Heat history to reach the 100-point plateau, joining Ryan Lomberg (109 in 219 games), Glenn Gawdin (106 in 144 games), Andrew Mangiapane (104 in 120 games) and Morgan Klimchuk (100 in 200 games).
- The 39 seconds between Heat goals matched the shortest time between Heat goals on the season, previously done on October 22 at San Diego.
SPECIAL TEAMS
STK PP – 1-for-4
STK PK – 5-for-5
THREE STARS
First – Matthew Phillips (1g, gwg)
Second – Eetu Tuulola (1g)
Third – Adam Werner (25 svs)
GOALIES
W – Adam Werner (25 saves on 26 shots faced)
L – Arturs Silovs (19 saves on 21 shots faced)
UP NEXT
The Heat head to Bakersfield for a midweek tilt Wednesday at least 6:30 p.m. and will return home next weekend, Friday and Saturday for Stockton’s first-ever games against the Henderson Silver Knights.
