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Heat Playoff Game Day: Opening the Pacific Final against Colorado (7:30 p.m. MT)
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Photo credit: Graphic by Mike Gould
Mike Gould
May 23, 2022, 15:30 EDTUpdated: May 23, 2022, 15:23 EDT
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The Stockton Heat may be relocating to Calgary next season, but they aren’t in Canada yet.
The Heat franchise’s last year in California has also been its most successful. After sweeping the Bakersfield Condors in the second round of the playoffs (they earned a bye past the first round), the Heat have advanced to face the Colorado Eagles in the Pacific Division Final.
We don’t know what the Heat franchise will be called in Calgary. We don’t even know where the team will play (although the Saddledome certainly makes the most sense). What we do know is this: Stockton is giving Calgary one heck of a hockey team.
As usual, @Dustin Wolf led the way for the Heat in their playoff series against Bakersfield. The reigning AHL top goaltender won all three games against the Condors, stopping 87 of 94 shots for a sparkling .926 save percentage.
Stockton’s high-octane offence has picked up in the playoffs where it left off in the regular season, when it managed 242 goals in 68 games. The Heat scored 12 goals in just three games against Bakersfield, with @Jakob Pelletier, @Emilio Pettersen, @Walker Duehr, and @Nick DeSimone each tallying twice.
The Heat and Eagles faced off on eight separate occasions during the 2021–22 regular season, with Stockton winning five times. Pelletier and @Matthew Phillips ranked first and second on the Heat, respectively, with 10 and nine points in the eight games against Colorado.

Projected lineups

These combinations are based, in part, on those used in these teams’ previous games. 
Stockton Heat
@Jakob Pelletier – @Glenn Gawdin – @Matthew Phillips
@Justin Kirkland – @Luke Philp – @Tyrell Goulbourne
@Emilio Pettersen – @Connor Zary – @Eetu Tuulola
@Alex Gallant – @Byron Froese – @Walker Duehr
@Kevin Gravel – @Nick DeSimone
@Juuso Valimaki – @Colton Poolman
@Ilya Solovyov – @Andy Welinski
@Dustin Wolf
@Daniil Chechelev
Colorado Eagles
@Martin Kaut – @Mikhail Maltsev – @Kiefer Sherwood
@Shane Bowers – @Jayson Megna – @Jean-Luc Foudy
@Stefan Matteau – Ryan Wagner – @Alex Beaucage
@Dalton Smith – Andreas Wingerli – @Sampo Ranta
@Jacob MacDonald – @Roland McKeown
@Andreas Englund – @Jordan Gross
Wyatt Aamodt – @Keaton Middleton
@Justus Annunen
@Hunter Miska

Playoff scoring stars

This section excludes players recalled to the NHL or on assignment to other leagues.
Stockton Heat
  1. Glenn Gawdin — 3 GP, 1 G, 4 P
  2. Emilio Pettersen — 3 GP, 2 G, 3 P
  3. Jakob Pelletier — 3 GP, 2 G, 3 P
  4. Walker Duehr — 3 GP, 2 G, 3 P
  5. Byron Froese — 3 GP, 1 G, 3 P
Colorado Eagles
  1. Jayson Megna — 5 GP, 6 G, 8 P
  2. Kiefer Sherwood — 4 GP, 3 G, 8 P
  3. Jordan Gross — 5 GP, 1 G, 7 P
  4. Mikhail Maltsev — 5 GP, 4 G, 6 P
  5. Jean-Luc Foudy — 5 GP, 3 G, 6 P

Heating up

Walker Duehr scored the first series-winning goal in Stockton Heat history in the deciding Game 3 of the team’s semifinal series against Bakersfield.
Duehr, 24, scored 11 goals and 23 points in 59 games with the Heat during the 2021–22 regular season. He had two goals and three points in Stockton’s sweep of the Condors.

How to watch

Game 1 in Stockton will be broadcast on AHL TV (subscription required) and on Spreaker (audio only), with the opening puck-drop set for 7:30 p.m. MT.
FlamesNation contributors Paige Siewert and Mike Gould will provide live game updates on Twitter. Additionally, you’ll be able to follow along at TheAHL.com.

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