HEAT MAKE HISTORY WITH 4-1 WIN
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Led by a two-goal, three-point effort from Emilio Pettersen and 26 saves from Adam Werner, the Stockton Heat (45-15-5-2) defeated the San Diego Gulls (28-32-4-2) by a 4-1 final Tuesday at Pechanga Arena.
With the win, the Heat have set a record for most standings points by an AHL Pacific Division team with 97. Stockton now has one game remaining in the regular season with a Magic Number of just two points to clinch the league’s regular season championship.
Walker Duehr got the scoring started just two minutes into the action, finishing a give-and-go from Byron Froese for a 1-0 lead. Stockton then doubled the advantage with 3:04 to go in the opening frame, Nick DeSimone lighting the lamp on a 5-on-3 power play for a two-goal cushion. The Gulls got one back before the horn, Brent Gates Jr. scoring on the power play to trim the visitors’ lead to 2-1 through 20 minutes.
Pettersen then pushed the game out of reach in the second period with a pair of goals, cashing in after stealing the puck on the forecheck for his first score of the night with 12:27 to go in the second stanza then tapping in an Eetu Tuulola feed with 3:57 to go in the frame for a 4-1 lead.
Both teams went scoreless in the final frame as the Heat finished the season series against San Diego with a win.
NOTABLE
- Emilio Pettersen netted his second professional multi-goal game, the previous coming March 12 against San Jose. The three points in the game matched his career best, previously tallying a goal and two helpers on March 8, 2021 at Manitoba.
- Greg Moro posted his third-career multi-point game, second of the season. He previously had a pair of assists on December 7 against San Jose and last season had a goal and a helper on March 27 at Belleville.
- The Heat are now 9-0-0-1 on the year when Walker Duehr scores a goal.
- The win keeps the Heat in contention for 99 points on the year, which would match the 1997-98 Saint John Flames for the third-most ever by a Flames farm club, and in an 80-game slate previously. The 2000-01 Saint John Flames finished with 100 points and the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights had 104 in 80 games in 2006-07. The Heat have clinched the best season ever by a Flames AHL affiliate by points percentage.
- Stockton is now 3-0-0-0 on the year following shutout losses on the year, and the Heat finish the regular season with a 6-2-0-0 record against San Diego, 3-1-0-0 mark at Pechanga Arena.
SPECIAL TEAMS
STK PP – 1-for-2
STK PK – 4-for-5
THREE STARS
First – Emilio Pettersen (2g,1a)
Second – Nick DeSimone (1g)
Third – Adam Werner (25 svs)
GOALIES
W – Adam Werner (25 saves on 26 shots faced)
L – Lukas Dostal (22 saves on 26 shots faced)
UP NEXT
The Heat wrap up their regular season slate on Saturday at Bakersfield, a 7 p.m. puck drop.