CAVENDISH FARMS REPORT - 31.05.22

There's a concept in fighting about what it takes to become the best, eliminating any doubt in the process.
You don't become a true champion, the saying goes, until you defend your title.
Spearheaded by a historic performance from Dustin Wolf and steady production from Justin Kirkland, the Heat did just that, reaffirming themselves as kings of the Pacific Division with a 3-1 series win over the Colorado Eagles.

For months, the Heat occupied the top spot. They clinched the playoffs in mid-March with a win over this same Eagles club. They locked up the division on April 23 after a long race with second-place Ontario. If there was any doubt remaining, the Heat had to prevail in a best-of-five series against an Eagles squad that brought a 5-0 postseason record with a 6.0 goals-per-game scoring clip into the Pacific Division Finals, having yet to trail in the playoffs.
Four games and three shutout wins later, let there be no question - these Heat are the best in the far West.
It was Wolf who led the way, the third-ever AHL goalie and the first of his lifetime to notch three shutouts in a single playoff series.
"Speechless," said Kirkland. "That doesn't happen very often at all. He's been the backbone for the team all season long, and for him to elevate his game even further in the playoffs when he was already playing so well and so consistently, it gives the team an extra boost, extra confidence. Hopefully he can keep it going."
They did it the hard way, despite being the higher seed - AHL scheduling rules giving Stockton the option to play the first two or last three games at home. They opted for the former, earning a 5-0 and a 1-0 win to start off the series before hitting the road to one of the tougher venues in the league for visiting teams.
The Eagles brought a six-game home win streak into the third game of the set, a resilient effort that saw Colorado overcome a two-goal deficit en route to a 6-5 win in an overtime barn-burner.
"This time of year, each step you take, the challenges get greater," said head coach Mitch Love. "The adversity you'll hit in each series gets greater. It was a learning experience for our guys, especially in Game Three where we had leads, salted them away and ultimately lost the game. We had a response the next game, but those are learning experiences for our group. It's good reminders."
It should come as no surprise that the Heat did what they've done all year, respond to adversity with greater strength, in locking up the series with a 1-0 shutout win that saw Wolf set a Heat team playoff record with 40 saves in the win. Kirkland netted what proved to be the game-winner to break a scoreless tie in the third, Stockton holding off a furious rush from the home side to once again try to draw even.
Of course, it takes a team. Matthew Phillips came alive with six points in four games. Kirkland had himself a series with six points and four goals in the four-game set. Jakob Pelletier and Walker Duehr each pitched in the first crack at an elimination bout. Defensively, the team held a high-flying offense to just six goals in four contests.
Title won. Title defended.
Now on to the next as undeniable Pacific champions.
There's no sugar-coating the battle that lies ahead for the Heat. It'll be a mammoth matchup in the first round of best-of-seven sets, pitting the top two teams from the regular season against one another as the Heat face off against the Chicago Wolves, who earned home ice advantage in the Western Conference Finals as AHL regular-season champions. For the Heat it's another tantalizing test of styles, another high-scoring opponent coming up against what has turned into a defensive buzzsaw in Stockton.
The set figures to be a battle, the first inter-divisional contest for Stockton this year. The mystery of what lies ahead adds some fuel, but so does the fact that the Heat, champions in their own right, get a chance to tackle another titan.
"Where we're at now, there are four good hockey teams left," said Love. "The regular season, it paints a picture of what teams are about. But this time of year, it's about finding wins, guys stepping up and doing the little things it takes to win a championship. We're on to the next step. We're going to take it one day at a time, no different than the first round, second round.
"It's about finding one win and moving on. If you lose, you stay even-keeled and find responses. Our guys have done a good job of that all year, and that's what we expect of ourselves moving on."

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:

Monday vs. Colorado - W, 5-0
Tuesday vs. Colorado - W, 1-0
Friday at Colorado - L, 6-5 (OT)
Sunday at Colorado - W, 1-0

QUICK HITS:

THEY SAID IT:

"I'm not surprised. He just sticks to his foundation, his routine, his mental preparation and physical preparation. He's just always worried about making the next stop. We as a team try to support him in that and do a good job in front of him to allow him to make the saves he has to. Of course, he makes the odd '10-beller' here and there, but you don't want to allow secondary opportunities. That's hard on any goaltender. What can you say? You need your goaltender to be one of your best players this time of year, and he's been that the last couple of series for us."
- Mitch Love on Dustin Wolf's play
"(Justin Kirkland and Matthew Phillips are) pros. They recognized they needed to step up for our hockey team, and they did so. Even guys who offensively didn't get the recognition had good series and were very helpful to our team success, whether it was penalty kill, 4-on-4, late in hockey games, closing out games. That's what you need. Guys need to step up. This is our group now. We had guys come back from the NHL as part of the Flames' playoff run. Now this is our group. Guys are going to have to step up when they get opportunities. But it's all about the team and finding wins."
- Love on Phillips and Kirkland's efforts in the Colorado series
"Coming into it you just want to win hockey games. That's just how it worked out. You don't really see two 1-0 hockey games in the same series. Credit to Colorado, they're a very good offensive team. We were able to shut them down and limit their opportunities. It showed in Game Three when they got six in. You give them any life and they run with it. To be able to shut them down was kind of a blessing."
- Dustin Wolf on his three shutouts in the Colorado series
"It's nice to chip in offensively and help the team win, but ultimately it's getting the three wins that matters. They were big team wins. Hopefully down the stretch I'll keep chipping in offensively, but there's a lot more details to my game that'll help this team win."
- Justin Kirkland on his effort on the offensive end against Colorado
"For Dustin to get three shutouts in four games is unbelievable, and we couldn't be luckier to have him on our team. But I think depth is a huge part of our team, too. We had guys back for game four (in Adam Ruzicka, Connor Mackey and Juuso Valimaki). We've got guys up and down the lineup that can contribute. We really like the makeup of our team."
- Matthew Phillips on Stockton's depth