STOCKTON HEAT (40-12-4-1) at SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (20-35-2-2)
3:00 p.m. PDT | Broadcast: AHLTV, Fox Sports 1280, Spreaker
Leading Scorers
Heat:
Goals – Matthew Phillips (27)
Points – Matthew Phillips (61)
San Jose Barracuda:
Goals – Joachim Blichfeld (22)
Points – Joachim Blichfeld (40)
Special Teams
Heat:
PP – 45-for-230, 19.6% (t-14th)/PK – 214-for-245, 87.3% (1st)
Barracuda:
PP – 53-for-261, 20.3% (10th)/PK – 173-for-229, 75.5% (t-29th)
1. HEAT INDEX
More of the same for the Stockton Heat on Saturday, a club that has now won five of the last six, with a 7-1 romp over the San Jose Barracuda. The Heat were paced by Eetu Tuulola and Matthew Phillips with a pair of goals on the offensive end while Stockton scored shorthanded, on the power play and five times at even strength in the rout. Dustin Wolf turned in another solid performance, turning away 24 of 25 shots faced in the victory.
2. THIS, THAT, THE OTHER
THIS… Forty is the new 30, and similar to the first milestone win, the Heat required the shortest runway among Western Conference clubs to the mark. The Chicago Wolves beat the Heat on the calendar, hitting 40 wins on March 29, but required 61 games to get there. Stockton hit 40 wins in 57 bouts.Only the Utica Comets are within striking distance of 40 heading into their next tilt among all other AHL teams. THAT… Stockton’s offense is clicking. Well, that’s an understatement. The Heat have scored seven or more goals in three of the last six games, having hung 10 on Colorado, seven on San Diego and seven on San Jose in that span. The Heat are up to second in the AHL on the offensive end at 3.72 goals for per game, trailing only divisional foe Ontario. THE OTHER… With Connor Zary’s goal in last night’s game, the Heat now have nine players with double-digit goal totals for the season: Matthew Phillips (27), Jakob Pelletier (26), Luke Philp (21), Justin Kirkland (17), Byron Froese (17), Glenn Gawdin (14), Eetu Tuulola (13), Adam Ruzicka (11) and Zary (10). Two more are within punching distance heading into Sunday’s matinee, with Emilio Pettersen and Walker Duehr sitting on nine goals for the season.
3. PLAYERS TO WATCH
Heat – Justin Kirkland
Sitting on 39 points for the season, Justin Kirkland will look to reach the 40-point plateau with another point today against the Barracuda.
Barracuda – Mason Jobst
Jobst lit the lamp in his first punch at the Heat on Saturday, his second game with the Barracuda. He has five goals and 14 points on the year, a campaign split between San Jose and the Rochester Americans.
4. MILESTONES WITHIN REACH
5. QUOTABLE
“This time of year, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing against. You just have to come in with the right mindset and chip in to play every game as if it’s a playoff game. That’s our mindset going into every game.” – Eetu Tuulola on Stockton’s mental approach
