<p>Get the brooms out.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The Laval Rocket have swept their four-game series against the Stockton Heat. After winning 4-3 in overtime on Mar. 18, the Rocket took 4-3 and 4-1 decisions over the weekend before concluding their Calgary trip on Tuesday with a decisive 4-2 victory.</p>
<p>Laval has now won its last six games; Stockton&#8217;s losing streak now sits at five contests. Prior to this recent stretch of futility, the Heat had won their last eight games.</p>
<p>Byron Froese and Justin Kirkland scored for Stockton on Tuesday. Heat goaltender Louis Domingue made 30 saves on 34 shots and is still searching for his first win of the season.</p>
<p>Jesse Ylönen scored twice for the visitors. Otto Leskinen and Jake Lucchini also contributed goals while Cayden Primeau made 24 saves.</p>
<p>Stockton entered this four-game series leading the Canadian Division with an 8-3-0 record. That record now sits at 8-6-1; Laval has improved to 12-4-1 and has seized control of first place. The Heat now control the second spot.</p>
<h2><strong>The rundown</strong></h2>
<p>The first period of Tuesday&#8217;s game was not especially kind to the Heat. Laval outshot Stockton by a 20-8 count and forced Domingue to battle hard to keep the game close.</p>
<p>Early in the first period, Domingue&#8217;s posts paid their respective dues towards maintaining the scoreless tie.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rob Hamilton turns it over. Ryan Poehling hits the post. Still scoreless in this <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> game. <a href="https://t.co/J3TyK5Whgv">pic.twitter.com/J3TyK5Whgv</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374501214788841477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Stockton ran into serious penalty trouble in the first period. Despite getting the game&#8217;s first power play opportunity, the Heat failed to convert and actually negated the advantage themselves.</p>
<p>Matthew Phillips took an interference penalty 1:13 into the Heat PP, setting his team up for an eventual 5-on-4 disadvantage. Stockton successfully killed the Phillips penalty but ended up taking two more before the period expired.</p>
<p>First, Michael Stone was nabbed for hooking at the 17:01 mark of the frame.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Domingue makes a couple excellent saves before Stone is called for hooking Vejdemo <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> <a href="https://t.co/Cum9NG77Iy">pic.twitter.com/Cum9NG77Iy</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374506315066707981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>45 seconds later, Kirkland went off for tripping, giving Laval a 1:15-long 5-on-3. They wasted no time in making the most of it, with Otto Leskinen snapping a hard shot over Domingue&#8217;s blocker with 1:35 to play before the first intermission.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">With the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> down two men, Otto Leskinen picks a corner over Domingue to give Laval a 1-0 lead. <a href="https://t.co/QRVNGzfing">pic.twitter.com/QRVNGzfing</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374507005893697536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Things started to get chippy in the second period. Zac Leslie and Joseph Blandisi got into a heated, physical disagreement before the 5:00 mark which led to Laval earning another 2:00 power play.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Joseph Blandisi just got very upset with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> D Zac Leslie.</p>
<p>Penalties on the play:</p>
<p>Blandisi — 2:00 for roughing<br />Leslie — 4:00 double-minor for interference</p>
<p>Laval heading to the PP. <a href="https://t.co/0NvPqaXcHD">pic.twitter.com/0NvPqaXcHD</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374514769747615751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Less than five minutes later, Heat defenseman Connor Mackey took exception to a hit thrown by Michael Pezzetta on Colton Beck and stepped in. Mackey and Pezzetta engaged in a spirited fight, with the Laval forward landing more blows.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Connor Mackey (not really a fighter) sticks up for his teammate, Colton Beck, and drops the gloves with Michael Pezzetta (definitely a fighter).</p>
<p>Pezzetta had four points and 63 PIMs in 32 AHL GP last year.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> still trail 1-0 halfway through the second. <a href="https://t.co/6vArE4t0BH">pic.twitter.com/6vArE4t0BH</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374517340444921860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Laval doubled its lead at the 10:47 mark of the second after a Hamilton turnover. Jordan Weal intercepted his pass, sending the puck in front to linemate Rafael Harvey-Pinard; from there, the puck made its way to Jesse Ylönen, who slammed it by Domingue to make it 2-0.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="fi" dir="ltr">Rob Hamilton turns it over, Jesse Ylönen scores. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> trail 2-0. <a href="https://t.co/6uAJ8rh0Tm">pic.twitter.com/6uAJ8rh0Tm</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374517783787044865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Jake Lucchini increased the lead to 3-0 in the dying minutes of the second period. Standing in the slot, Lucchini deflected a long shot by Brandon Baddock that bounced off Domingue and rolled barely an inch over the goal line.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Baddock makes it 3-0 for Laval on a long-range shot. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> <a href="https://t.co/CTMHpJOTMl">pic.twitter.com/CTMHpJOTMl</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374522696587898884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>It only took 30 seconds for the Heat to answer right back. Blandisi high-sticked Michael Stone off the faceoff directly following Lucchini&#8217;s goal, sending Stockton to just its second power play. It only took 26 seconds for the Heat to score, with Byron Froese taking a pass down low and throwing the puck upstairs on Primeau.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">With Blandisi in the box, Froese gets the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> on the board late in the second. <a href="https://t.co/4zIHXjgNdd">pic.twitter.com/4zIHXjgNdd</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374523557250691072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Emilio Pettersen took a high-sticking penalty of his own just 35 seconds into the final frame. Laval re-established its three-goal cushion less than a minute later, with Ylönen absolutely hammering a one-timer off the crossbar and into Domingue&#8217;s cage.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ylönen goes bar-down on the PP and it&#39;s 4-1 for Laval early in the third period. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> <a href="https://t.co/pBmvKH7KRN">pic.twitter.com/pBmvKH7KRN</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374527918806691840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Stockton finally started getting more penalties called in their favour as the third period progressed. The Rocket took four consecutive penalties—including a four-minute high-sticking double minor—and allowed the Heat a chance to claw back.</p>
<p>Leading scorer Matthew Phillips had an excellent chance to make it a 4-2 game on Stockton&#8217;s second power play of the third.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Phillips with a very good opportunity to bring the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> to within two goals. <a href="https://t.co/K06LZMVgTl">pic.twitter.com/K06LZMVgTl</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374533083970424833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Baddock cut Pettersen with a high stick at the 15:24 mark of the period. On the ensuing four-minute man-advantage, Justin Kirkland slapped a one-timer past Primeau to make it a 4-2 game.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kirkland makes it 4-2. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> need two more. <a href="https://t.co/CNHVvcdCfl">pic.twitter.com/CNHVvcdCfl</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374534671074086917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The Heat failed to score on the back half of the power play and ultimately fell by a 4-2 score.</p>
<h2><strong>Line combinations</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Stockton</strong></p>
<p>Glenn Gawdin – Adam Ruzicka – Matthew Phillips<br />
Emilio Pettersen – Luke Philp – Dmitry Zavgorodniy<br />
Justin Kirkland – Byron Froese – Eetu Tuulola<br />
Kris Bennett – Mark Simpson – Colton Beck</p>
<p>Connor Mackey – Michael Stone<br />
Rob Hamilton – Alexander Yelesin<br />
CJ Lerby – Zac Leslie</p>
<p>Louis Domingue<br />
Garret Sparks</p>
<p><strong>Laval</strong></p>
<p>Rafael Harvey-Pinard – Jordan Weal – Jesse Ylönen<br />
Brandon Baddock – Lukas Vejdemo – Alex Belzile<br />
Joseph Blandisi – Ryan Poehling – Joel Teasdale<br />
Michael Pezzetta – Jan Mysak – Jake Lucchini</p>
<p>Corey Schueneman – Otto Leskinen<br />
Tobie Bisson – Cale Fleury<br />
Guillaume Brisebois – Josh Brook</p>
<p>Cayden Primeau<br />
Michael McNiven</p>
<h2><strong>Why the Heat lost<br />
</strong></h2>
<p>Once again, the Heat allowed the first goal of the game. They did so in all four games against Laval (and lost each one).</p>
<p>Stockton&#8217;s top duo continues to run ice-cold. Matthew Phillips has been held pointless over the last three games; Adam Ruzicka has no points in five contests and last scored a goal 10 games ago.</p>
<h2><strong>The hottest Heat</strong></h2>
<p>Justin Kirkland was all over Tuesday&#8217;s game. He led Heat skaters with four shots on net and contributed to both the team&#8217;s goals.</p>
<p>The 24-year-old Camrose product skated next to Byron Froese and Eetu Tuulola on Stockton&#8217;s best line at even strength but he did most of his damage with the man-advantage. Kirkland set up Froese&#8217;s power play goal in the second period before one-timing a CJ Lerby feed past Primeau late in the third period.</p>
<h2><strong>Post-game assessments</strong></h2>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='1424' height='801' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZeD7nZ9cM00?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'></iframe></span></div>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='1424' height='801' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dbw5c_FgufM?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'></iframe></span></div>
<h2><strong>Up next</strong></h2>
<p>The Heat are heading on the road! They&#8217;ll be playing a back-to-back set in Ottawa against the Belleville Senators on Mar. 26 and 27. You can catch those games on AHL TV; I’ll be posting updates on Twitter at @miketgould.</p>

Get the brooms out.



The Laval Rocket have swept their four-game series against the Stockton Heat. After winning 4-3 in overtime on Mar. 18, the Rocket took 4-3 and 4-1 decisions over the weekend before concluding their Calgary trip on Tuesday with a decisive 4-2 victory.

Laval has now won its last six games; Stockton's losing streak now sits at five contests. Prior to this recent stretch of futility, the Heat had won their last eight games.

Byron Froese and Justin Kirkland scored for Stockton on Tuesday. Heat goaltender Louis Domingue made 30 saves on 34 shots and is still searching for his first win of the season.

Jesse Ylönen scored twice for the visitors. Otto Leskinen and Jake Lucchini also contributed goals while Cayden Primeau made 24 saves.

Stockton entered this four-game series leading the Canadian Division with an 8-3-0 record. That record now sits at 8-6-1; Laval has improved to 12-4-1 and has seized control of first place. The Heat now control the second spot.
<h2><strong>The rundown</strong></h2>
The first period of Tuesday's game was not especially kind to the Heat. Laval outshot Stockton by a 20-8 count and forced Domingue to battle hard to keep the game close.

Early in the first period, Domingue's posts paid their respective dues towards maintaining the scoreless tie.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374501214788841477

Stockton ran into serious penalty trouble in the first period. Despite getting the game's first power play opportunity, the Heat failed to convert and actually negated the advantage themselves.

Matthew Phillips took an interference penalty 1:13 into the Heat PP, setting his team up for an eventual 5-on-4 disadvantage. Stockton successfully killed the Phillips penalty but ended up taking two more before the period expired.

First, Michael Stone was nabbed for hooking at the 17:01 mark of the frame.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374506315066707981

45 seconds later, Kirkland went off for tripping, giving Laval a 1:15-long 5-on-3. They wasted no time in making the most of it, with Otto Leskinen snapping a hard shot over Domingue's blocker with 1:35 to play before the first intermission.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374507005893697536

Things started to get chippy in the second period. Zac Leslie and Joseph Blandisi got into a heated, physical disagreement before the 5:00 mark which led to Laval earning another 2:00 power play.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374514769747615751

Less than five minutes later, Heat defenseman Connor Mackey took exception to a hit thrown by Michael Pezzetta on Colton Beck and stepped in. Mackey and Pezzetta engaged in a spirited fight, with the Laval forward landing more blows.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374517340444921860

Laval doubled its lead at the 10:47 mark of the second after a Hamilton turnover. Jordan Weal intercepted his pass, sending the puck in front to linemate Rafael Harvey-Pinard; from there, the puck made its way to Jesse Ylönen, who slammed it by Domingue to make it 2-0.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374517783787044865

Jake Lucchini increased the lead to 3-0 in the dying minutes of the second period. Standing in the slot, Lucchini deflected a long shot by Brandon Baddock that bounced off Domingue and rolled barely an inch over the goal line.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374522696587898884

It only took 30 seconds for the Heat to answer right back. Blandisi high-sticked Michael Stone off the faceoff directly following Lucchini's goal, sending Stockton to just its second power play. It only took 26 seconds for the Heat to score, with Byron Froese taking a pass down low and throwing the puck upstairs on Primeau.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374523557250691072

Emilio Pettersen took a high-sticking penalty of his own just 35 seconds into the final frame. Laval re-established its three-goal cushion less than a minute later, with Ylönen absolutely hammering a one-timer off the crossbar and into Domingue's cage.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374527918806691840

Stockton finally started getting more penalties called in their favour as the third period progressed. The Rocket took four consecutive penalties—including a four-minute high-sticking double minor—and allowed the Heat a chance to claw back.

Leading scorer Matthew Phillips had an excellent chance to make it a 4-2 game on Stockton's second power play of the third.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374533083970424833

Baddock cut Pettersen with a high stick at the 15:24 mark of the period. On the ensuing four-minute man-advantage, Justin Kirkland slapped a one-timer past Primeau to make it a 4-2 game.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1374534671074086917

The Heat failed to score on the back half of the power play and ultimately fell by a 4-2 score.
<h2><strong>Line combinations</strong></h2>
<strong>Stockton</strong>

Glenn Gawdin – Adam Ruzicka – Matthew Phillips
Emilio Pettersen – Luke Philp – Dmitry Zavgorodniy
Justin Kirkland – Byron Froese – Eetu Tuulola
Kris Bennett – Mark Simpson – Colton Beck

Connor Mackey – Michael Stone
Rob Hamilton – Alexander Yelesin
CJ Lerby – Zac Leslie

Louis Domingue
Garret Sparks

<strong>Laval</strong>

Rafael Harvey-Pinard – Jordan Weal – Jesse Ylönen
Brandon Baddock – Lukas Vejdemo – Alex Belzile
Joseph Blandisi – Ryan Poehling – Joel Teasdale
Michael Pezzetta – Jan Mysak – Jake Lucchini

Corey Schueneman – Otto Leskinen
Tobie Bisson – Cale Fleury
Guillaume Brisebois – Josh Brook

Cayden Primeau
Michael McNiven
<h2><strong>Why the Heat lost
</strong></h2>
Once again, the Heat allowed the first goal of the game. They did so in all four games against Laval (and lost each one).

Stockton's top duo continues to run ice-cold. Matthew Phillips has been held pointless over the last three games; Adam Ruzicka has no points in five contests and last scored a goal 10 games ago.
<h2><strong>The hottest Heat</strong></h2>
Justin Kirkland was all over Tuesday's game. He led Heat skaters with four shots on net and contributed to both the team's goals.

The 24-year-old Camrose product skated next to Byron Froese and Eetu Tuulola on Stockton's best line at even strength but he did most of his damage with the man-advantage. Kirkland set up Froese's power play goal in the second period before one-timing a CJ Lerby feed past Primeau late in the third period.
<h2><strong>Post-game assessments</strong></h2>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeD7nZ9cM00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbw5c_FgufM
<h2><strong>Up next</strong></h2>
The Heat are heading on the road! They'll be playing a back-to-back set in Ottawa against the Belleville Senators on Mar. 26 and 27. You can catch those games on AHL TV; I’ll be posting updates on Twitter at @miketgould.

Post-Game: Rocket complete the sweep against Stockton

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