HEAT REPORT - 11.12.17

It was a heckuva week to be a Heat fan.
Stockton continued their current roll, dismantling the San Jose Barracuda 6-0 on Wednesday to conclude an undefeated six-game road trip and then came home to wipe out the (then) top team in the Pacific Division, the Tucson Roadrunners, by a 5-2 score.

The Heat are now the top dogs in the Pacific.
"Our players have worked hard but you can't plan a parade route in December," Heat coach Ryan Huska said after Saturday's win launched them into the top spot in the division. "We have a lot of work in front of us but the one positive thing about being higher in the standings is you don't ever get an easy game from your opponents, and it doesn't allow your players to take your foot off the gas."
"They have to be committed to being ready to play every time they are stepping on the ice."
Hunter Shinkaruk scored on the Heat's first shot Wednesday night, and Tyler Wotherspoon converted a nifty pass from Marek Hrivik as the Heat scored on two of just four shots they had in the first period, a shot count that matches their lowest this season in a single period.
"I thought it was a funny game," Huska said after Wednesday's tilt. "I thought it was a slow, lethargic start for us. You go through the course of the year where you're going to win some games you aren't at your best and lose games where you deserve a better result."
Spencer Foo recorded his first career hat-trick against the Barracuda, scoring off a deflection, a nice move down low around the goaltender and then putting a rebound in to cap off a terrific achievement.
Foo had entered Wednesday night's game with one goal and seven points on the year.
"It has been a little bit of a grind so far, I have been battling the puck," Foo said of the start to his first professional season. "You have to just keep working on everything and trying to play a complete game and I have been doing that and tonight it broke through for me so it is a nice relief."
Jon Gillies made 25 saves for his second shutout of the season, his best coming in the third period off a partial breakaway along with the ensuing three rebound chances, keeping the puck out of the net and preserving his fifth career shutout.
Against Tucson, Shinkaruk again scored the game's first goal on the first shot of the night, this time coming just 12-seconds into the game, shaving six seconds off the previous record to become the fastest goal to start a game in Heat history.
"The puck just got in the offensive zone and I have been focusing on getting to the net a little more and Hrivik made a really nice pass and it went off my stick and in," Shinkaruk said. "Twelve seconds in, that is as good of a way to start the game as you can and it was good to get on the board and get the boys going."
And it did get the boys going. The Heat would capitalize moments later for the second of the night while on the powerplay as Foo would deflect a point shot for his fourth goal in his last two games.
Gillies continued to be sparkling throughout the night, and while a shutout looked possible, the Roadrunners would end his shutouts streak at 129:55, as Gillies finally allowed a goal.
"It is always better to play with a lead than chasing the game," Gillies said. "We ran into a stretch where we were chasing the game and the other team was taking it to us, but to see the bounce back the last couple games has been awesome and it was a good team win throughout."

ONE-TIMERS

• Klimchuk became the second Heat player to reach the 10-goal mark on Saturday, followed by his teammate Andrew Mangiapane, whose empty-netter sealed the victory. Both players still trail Garnet Hathaway, who scored 11 goals before being called up to the Flames.
• For Foo, it's his third career hat-trick in his amateur and pro career. His two hat-tricks at Union College, both last season, came against Yale and Dartmouth, with all three hat-tricks, including Wednesday's in San Jose, coming on the road. He became the third Heat player to record a hat-trick, joining Mark Jankowski and Shinkaruk, andwas the first Heat player to do so since Shinkaruk's back on April 5, 2017 against San Diego.
• Mangiapane still leads the team with 26 points this season and picked up a goal and three assists in the two games this week. Hrivik is right behind him with 23 points, having also picked up a goal and three assists.
• Rasmus Andersson and Oliver Kylington both recorded three-assist nights on Wednesday in San Jose. For Andersson, it tied his best point total in a single game dating back to last season, while it was the best offensive night for Kylington in his career. Kylington's second assist was also his 50th career AHL point.
• Stockton's special teams are rolling right now. In the last two games, the Heat are 50% on the powerplay, scoring four goals on eight opportunities, while the Heat penalty-kill has gone a perfect 18-18 over three-straight games.

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