TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: Stockton Heat vs. Chicago Wolves
SERIES: Game 4; STK Trails 3-0
LOCATION: Stockton Arena | Stockton, Calif.
TIME: 7:00 p.m. PDT
TUNE IN: Today’s game can be streamed on AHLTV, and the radio call is available on Fox Sports Radio 1280 or online via Spreaker.
Media Game Notes: STK | CHI | AHL
HEAT INDEX
The Stockton Heat have been pushed to the brink of elimination entering Game Four of the Western Conference Finals, Chicago taking a 3-0 victory on Wednesday to take a 3-0 series lead. Stockton fired 23 shots on Wolves netminder Alex Lyon in Game Three, but the goalie was up to the task each time. Dustin Wolf stopped 27 of 29 shots faced in the game before the Wolves locked the result with an empty-netter.
FROM 0 TO 60
Stockton rebounded with wins from all three shutout losses in the regular season, outscoring opponents 11-4 in those games with a 3-2 win over Tucson and 4-1 wins over San Jose and San Diego. The Heat scored the opening goal in all three of those bounce-back efforts.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Heat have not lost consecutive home games all season, the club owning the AHL’s best home record in the regular season at 24-5-5-0, a .779 points percentage. Throughout the playoffs, the Heat have scored first in four of five games played at Stockton Arena and have outscored opponents by a 12-6 margin, including 9-4 at 5-on-5.
GAME OF INCHES
Stockton and Chicago have battled to razor-thin margins despite the series record, Chicago earning a pair of one-goal wins and taking a hard-fought third game. The teams have gone to intermission tied six times, including all three periods of regulation in Game One, the first two periods of Game Two and the first frame of Game Three.
CONNECT 4
With Wednesday’s result, the Stockton Heat have to win all four remaining games of the series to advance through the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals. The Heat strung together four or more consecutive wins five times during the regular season, including nine straight from October 16 through November 12, four in a row from December 11 through December 18, four in a row from February 12 through February 25, five straight from March 5 through March 14 and four in a row from March 19 through March 27. The Heat also won their first five games of the playoffs.
SO YOU’RE SAYING THERE’S A CHANCE
Stockton is the 140th squad in AHL history to be facing an 0-3 series deficit and is hoping to become the fourth team to advance through the round. Currently the three teams to have come back and won the series in seven games include the 2013 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 1989 Adirondack Red Wings and 1960 Rochester Americans.