The Stockton Heat will get their second shot at the American Hockey League Pacific Division title on Saturday when they take on the Bakersfield Condors at 8:00 pm MT.
The Heat (44–14–7) remain atop the AHL standings with a .731 scoring percentage. They can clinch the top spot in the Pacific on Saturday with a single point against Bakersfield or an Ontario Reign loss of any kind at Colorado.
Saturdays @LaAHL #PlayoffFirst now it’s out.
🧮 → https://t.co/QDTbZYi7Ax | #CalderCup pic.twitter.com/HXenEyIGKY
— AHL Communications (@AHLPR) April 23, 2022
Stockton has already faced Bakersfield on eight previous occasions this season, winning six of them and scoring a single point in another. However, the Condors won 5-1 in the two teams’ last meeting (at Stockton Arena on March 16).
Daniil Chechelev started Stockton’s final game, allowing five goals on 33 shots in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Abbotsford Canucks on Friday. The 21-year-old goalkeeper could see even more action the rest of the way as dusty wolf check out the NHL; including Saturday’s action, Stockton has three games left in the 2021-22 regular season.
Bakersfield (35–20–10) currently sits fifth in the Pacific Division and has won seven of its last 10 games. The Condors are virtually guaranteed to play either the Canucks or the Colorado Eagles in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.
Projected lineups
These combinations are based, in part, on those used in these teams’ respective previous games.
Stockton Heat
Jacob Pelletier – glenn gawdin – matthew phillips
justin kirkland – luke philp – Martin Pospisil
emilio petersen – Connor Zary – Walker Duhr
Tyrell Goulbourne – byron froese – Eetu Tuulola
Juuso Valimaki – colton pool man
kevin gravel – simone nick
Ilya Solovyov – Andy Welinski
daniil chechelev
Adam Werner
Bakersfield Condors
marody cooper – lucas esposito – seth griffith
Tyler Benson – brad malone – Dino Cambeitz
Tim Schaller – adam cracknell – james hamlin
noah philp – Devin Brosseau – Colton Sceviour
Yanni Kaldis – Vincent Desharnais
Philip Broberg – Michael Kesselring
Darien Kielb – Philip Berglund
Ilya Konovalov
Stuart Skinner
scoring stars
This section excludes players called up to the NHL or assigned to other leagues.
Stockton Heat
- matthew phillips — 62GP, 30G, 67P
- Jacob Pelletier — 63GP, 27G, 62P
- glenn gawdin — 62GP, 15G, 50P
- justin kirkland — 63GP, 25G, 47P
- luke philp — 63GP, 21G, 44P
Bakersfield Condors
- seth griffith — 61GP, 28G, 78P
- marody cooper — 49GP, 21G, 54P
- adam cracknell — 55GP, 20G, 44P
- brad malone — 49GP, 13G, 37P
- james hamlin — 61GP, 19G, 33P
Heat
Jacob Pelletier appeared in Friday’s game, collecting four assists (one on each Stockton goal) in a 5–4 overtime loss.
The 21-year-old forward now ranks 12th in scoring in the AHL with 62 points in 63 games. Something will be very, very wrong if Pelletier doesn’t get significant consideration as AHL rookie of the year (although Wolf might have a stronger case).
Back in the driver’s seat pic.twitter.com/24WW9mz1MS
— Stockton x-Heat (@AHLHeat) April 23, 2022
how to look
Saturday’s game in Stockton will be broadcast on AHL TV (subscription required) and speaker (audio only), with the opening disc release scheduled for 8:00 pm MT.
FlamesNation Paige Siewert, Contributor, will provide live game updates at your twitter account. Plus, you can follow him on TheAHL.com.
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Reference-flamesnation.ca