MORNING SKATE: HEAT FACE GULLS SUNDAY IN SAN DIEGO
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: Stockton Heat (38-11-4-1; 1st Pacific) at San Diego Gulls (26-25-2-1; 6th Pacific)
LOCATION: Pechanga Arena | San Diego, California
TIME: 5:00 p.m. PDT
TUNE IN: Today’s game can be streamed on AHLTV, and the radio call is available on Fox Sports Radio 1280 or online via Spreaker.
Media Game Notes: STK | SD | AHL
HEAT INDEX
In a battle of the hottest teams in the Pacific Division, the Stockton Heat and San Diego Gulls are set to face off Sunday at Pechanga Arena, a 5 p.m. puck drop. The Heat, winners of three straight, take the ice for the first time since a 3-1 Friday win over the Abbotsford Canucks. The Gulls earned a 5-1 win over Ontario Reign Saturday, the team’s AHL-leading eighth consecutive game with at least a point.
BON JOUR
Jakob Pelletier continued his stellar rookie season with a shorthanded goal on Saturday, his team-leading 26th lamp-lighter of the season, to bring him to a tie for the team lead in goals while down a skater. Pelletier has amassed the second-best point total by a rookie in Heat history with 54, trailing only Mark Jankowski’s 56-point total in the 2016-17 season. Pelletier has 10 points and four goals in six points against the Gulls this season.
UP A SKATER
The Heat, tied for 14th in the league on the power play, have cashed in on the man-advantage in three of the past four games. Stockton scoring while up a skater has been a steady sign of success on the year, the Heat coming into Sunday’s game with a record of 27-2-1-0 on the year when lighting the lamp on the power play. Stockton is also 15-0-2-0 when outscoring opponents on special teams this season.
DOWN A SKATER
Pelletier’s shorthanded goal brought Stockton’s team total to an AHL-best 12, tied with the Laval Rocket atop the league in the metric. The Heat own the AHL’s best penalty kill at 87.4-percent on the year, including an impressive 91.4-percent kill rate, 32-for-35, in the season series against San Diego. The Heat have a pair of shorthanded goals against the Gulls this season, both coming from Connor Mackey.
ONE FOR THE ROAD
The Heat bring the AHL’s best road record into Sunday’s tilt, 17-7-0-1 (.700 pct) on the year. Stockton, which has outscored opponents 98-74 in away games this season, has a chance to tie the club record tonight for road wins in a season, previously earning 18 away victories in 2017-18. The Heat finished that season 18-12-2-2 (.588 pct) on the road.
YOU STAY CLASSY, SAN DIEGO
The Heat lead the season series 4-2-0-0 against San Diego, most recently earning a 5-2 win over the Gulls at Stockton Arena on March 9. The clubs have split a pair of contests in San Diego, with Stockton earning the win in the first meeting by a group 6-2 tally and the Gulls taking the second contest, 4-1. All-time, the Heat are 13-9-0-3 at Pechanga Arena.