HGD 31: COVID-stricken Heat host Roadrunners (8:00 p.m. MT, free on AHLTV)

The Stockton Heat aren’t exactly operating at full capacity right now.

@Juuso Valimaki is injured. @Connor Zary’s status is uncertain after he missed most of Wednesday’s game in Henderson. Leading scorer @Jakob Pelletier is in COVID-19 protocol, as are @Justin Kirkland, @Luke Philp, @Colton Poolman, and @Martin Pospisil.

Stockton’s opponents tonight are the 12–12–3 Tucson Roadrunners, which dressed only 16 skaters in Friday’s 3–0 loss to the San Jose Barracuda. Furthermore, with only one AHL goaltender available, Tucson had to go with a good ol’ EBUG in San Jose: David Guy.

Without Pelletier in the lineup, @Matthew Phillips will likely have to carry most of the offensive weight for the first-place Heat. The 23-year-old winger leads the Heat with 12 goals in 27 games this season.

It remains to be seen whether @Dustin Wolf will start in goal for Stockton this evening. The 20-year-old rookie still has some of the best numbers in the AHL but has struggled in his last two appearances, allowing nine goals on 55 shots.

@Eetu Tuulola – @Glenn Gawdin – @Matthew Phillips
@Emilio Pettersen – @Byron Froese – @Walker Duehr
@Alex Gallant – @Connor Zary – @Ryan Olsen
@Mason Mitchell – @Mark Simpson – @Reid Perepeluk

@Kevin Gravel – @Connor Mackey
@Ilya Solovyov – @Nick DeSimone
Greg Moro – @Nolan Valleau

@Dustin Wolf
@Adam Werner

@Jan Jenik – @Matias Maccelli – @Hudson Fasching
@Travis Barron – @Tyson Empey – @Cameron Hebig
@Bokondji Imama – @Logan Nelson – @Max Coatta
@Cedric Lacroix

@Cole Hults – @Cameron Crotty
Quinn Wichers – @Ty Emberson
@Chaz Reddekopp – Ryan Da Silva

@Josef Korenar
David Guy

Stockton — @Jakob Pelletier (11 goals, 31 points); @Matthew Phillips (12 goals, 28 points); @Glenn Gawdin (10 goals, 26 points); @Luke Philp (eight goals, 18 points); @Connor Mackey (four goals, 17 points).

 Tucson — @Matias Maccelli (nine goals, 26 points); @Hudson Fasching (four goals, 16 points); @Jan Jenik (seven goals, 16 points); @Michael Carcone (seven goals, 16 points); @Ben McCartney (six goals, 11 points).

Stockton — @Eetu Tuulola has been red-hot of late, with five goals in his last nine games. He’s gone from being on the fringes of the roster at the beginning of the season to firmly in a top-six role, and his ice-time should only increase while Stockton plays without four of its regular forwards. Tuulola is a pending RFA and can do a lot in the next few weeks to potentially secure a new contract with the Flames.

Tucson — @Jan Jenik could be a difference-maker for a depleted Roadrunners squad on Saturday. The 21-year-old forward already has five NHL games under his belt and has been a key contributor for Tucson ever since he debuted in the AHL last season. The 2018 third-round pick has 30 points in 49 career games with the Roadrunners.

Saturday’s game in Stockton will be broadcast for free on AHL TV (account still required, no cost to sign up) and on Spreaker (audio only), with the opening puck-drop set for 8:00 p.m. MT.

FlamesNation contributor Paige Siewert will provide live game updates on her Twitter account. Additionally, you’ll be able to follow along at TheAHL.com.

Looking to up your fantasy hockey game? DailyFaceoff has the tools you need for both daily and season-long fantasy leagues, including a lineup optimizer, daily projections, and a whole lot more. Sign up for the DailyFaceoff tools here.