MORNING SKATE: HEAT HOST EAGLES IN TEDDY BEAR TOSS GAME

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: Stockton Heat (17-2-2-1; 1st Pacific) vs Colorado Eagles (10-9-2-2; 5th Pacific) 
LOCATION: Stockton Arena | Stockton, California
TIME: 6:00 p.m. PST
TUNE IN: Tonight’s game can be streamed on AHLTV, and the radio call is available online via Spreaker.

Media Game Notes: STK | COL | AHL

HEAT INDEX
The point streak reached seven last night for the Stockton Heat, the club rebounding from a slow start en route to a 3-2 overtime win against the Colorado Eagles. Eetu Tuulola and Ilya Solovyov scored in regulation as the Heat dug out of a two-goal hole, then Andy Welinski found the twine with just seven seconds remaining in overtime to seal the win. Dustin Wolf rattled off his eighth consecutive win, stopping 26 of 28 shots faced in the game including a perfect final 19.

WORKING OVERTIME
Friday’s 3-2 win was the second consecutive game the Heat played beyond the 60 minutes of regulation, extending the home point streak to 12 games following the overtime thriller. It’s the second time this season that the Heat have strung together multiple overtime trips in a row, previously playing three games beyond regular time in November (2-0-1-0 in that span). Stockton is now 3-2 on the year in games settled in overtime, 2-1 in shootouts.

IL-MATIC
After going without a point in his first 10 AHL games, defenseman Ilya Solovyov once again showed his hot hand with the game-tying goal Friday in the third period. Solovyov now has three goals in as many games, including the game-winner last Saturday, and he has four points in the last five.  

BACK TO THE WEL
After putting an end to a 30-game AHL goalless stretch on Wednesday, Andy Welinski lit the lamp for the second consecutive game with the OT winner on Friday. The veteran now leads Heat defensemen with 14 points on the year and moved into the team lead in power play scoring with his goal on Friday, his eighth point on the man-advantage this season.

SPECIAL TEAMS EDGE
Special teams played a vital role in Stockton’s come-from-behind effort on Friday, the Heat scoring their first goal and final goal on the power play while holding the Eagles scoreless on three chances. So far in the season series, the Heat have been limited to 3-for-20 (15-percent) on the man-advantage but have held Colorado scoreless, 0-for-16, in four games.

COMEBACK KIDS
It’s been rare that the Heat have had to chase the competition into games, but that’s exactly what Stockton pulled off on Friday. It was only the second time the Heat have trailed after one period on the year – the club is now 2-0-0-0 in those games – and was the fourth time this season Stockton was behind after two, with the Heat 3-1-0-0 in that scenario. 

THANK YOU SPONSORS
The Stockton Heat Teddy Bear Toss is presented by Premier Staffing and The Halstead Group.