<p>Dmitry Zavgorodniy: so hot right now!</p>
<p></p>
<p>The 20-year-old AHL rookie endured through a difficult first two months at the professional level earlier this season. Skating in a depth role, he put up zeroes in every offensive category over his first 19 games before being made a healthy scratch on Apr. 2 in Laval.</p>
<p>Since his return to the lineup, Zavgorodniy has become one of Stockton&#8217;s more dangerous offensive players and is finally starting to find his offensive groove. Maybe that&#8217;s why they call the AHL a &#8220;developmental league&#8221;&#8230;</p>
<p>Zavgorodniy scored his first AHL goal on Thursday evening while skating in his 23rd game with the Heat. The goal extended Zavgorodniy&#8217;s point streak to three games and further cemented his spot in the team&#8217;s top-six up front.</p>
<p>Glenn Gawdin also found the back of the net for Stockton, which eventually lost 4-2 to the Belleville Senators. Cole Reinhart, J.C. Beaudin, Parker Kelly, and Egor Sokolov all scored for the visitors.</p>
<p>Garret Sparks allowed four goals on 16 shots before being pulled in favour of Andrew Shortridge in the second period. 20-year-old B-Sens netminder Kevin Mandolese was fantastic, making 24 saves en route to his second victory as a professional.</p>
<p>Belleville improved to 9-12-1 with the win; Stockton fell to 10-13-1 with the setback. These two teams will conclude their season series this Saturday at 2:00 pm MT.</p>
<h2><strong>The rundown</strong></h2>
<p>Fresh off a two-point effort on Wednesday, Heat forward Matthew Phillips seemed intent on making his mark early in Thursday&#8217;s game. He made a power move towards the net off a faceoff and drew the game&#8217;s first penalty in the process.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Matthew Phillips steals the puck and draws the game&#39;s first penalty less than five minutes in. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> <a href="https://t.co/W8nhLVXYYY">pic.twitter.com/W8nhLVXYYY</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382835089432662016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Stockton failed to capitalize on its early man-advantage and followed that up by taking four consecutive minor penalties in the first period. Despite spending much of the opening frame on the man-advantage, both of Belleville&#8217;s first-period goals came at even strength.</p>
<p>Cole Reinhardt tallied the first one, locating the puck high in the air and batting it past Sparks in the slot. Jack Dougherty picked up the assist on Reinhardt&#8217;s third goal of the season.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cole Reinhardt gets the bunt single to put the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> in an early 1-0 hole. <a href="https://t.co/vjOK25breB">pic.twitter.com/vjOK25breB</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382837299386339331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Just 22 seconds later, the Senators doubled their lead. With both Heat defensemen caught below their own goal line, Belleville pulled off a tricky tic-tac-toe passing play and J.C. Beaudin finished it off.</p>
<p>Beaudin played 22 NHL games in Ottawa last year but was still looking for his first goal in the AHL this season. That search has now ended; Vitaly Abramov and Joseph LaBate recorded the helpers on the insurance marker.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This one was almost too easy for J.C. Beaudin. The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> called a timeout after going down 2-0 with this goal. <a href="https://t.co/3avyFPwR2Z">pic.twitter.com/3avyFPwR2Z</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382837580438278147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>With Stockton reeling and down two players, the Senators continued to push for a greater cushion. Sparks didn&#8217;t get much help from his defenders and Belleville was able to test him with multiple great scoring opportunities.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nice string of saves by Sparks on the Belleville 5-on-3. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> still down 2-0. <a href="https://t.co/oaCFzSE9yz">pic.twitter.com/oaCFzSE9yz</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382841408529190912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>LaBate took a penalty of his own with 1:54 remaining in the first period, sending Stockton to a second power play. Phillips was able to move the puck around effectively in Belleville&#8217;s zone but Mandolese was up to the task when he attempted to set up Byron Froese for a tap-in.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Huge save by Mandolese to rob Froese on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> PP. </p>
<p>Bonus: Check out Phillips&#39; passes on this sequence. Top-tier stuff. <a href="https://t.co/MMZKTv5AOq">pic.twitter.com/MMZKTv5AOq</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382841998126706690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>LaBate received another infraction right as his first one expired, <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382846967697444866">getting dinged</a> for playing the puck before fully stepping out of the penalty box. (No, seriously, that&#8217;s part of the interference rule).</p>
<p>Stockton&#8217;s third power play did not work as planned. Senators forward Parker Kelly was able to skate the puck down the ice all by himself, deking out Emilio Pettersen in the process, before firing it over Sparks&#8217; glove.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Parker Kelly roofs a shorthanded goal. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> trail 3-0. <a href="https://t.co/oMibsdcExH">pic.twitter.com/oMibsdcExH</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382847339350552576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Stockton had a big problem with allowing odd-man rushes in the second period. 6&#8217;8&#8243;, 249-pound Curtis Douglas came barreling down on one of his own and tried to find the same location Kelly did. Sparks got just enough of the puck to keep it out.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> give up yet another odd-man rush. Big Curtis Douglas fires it and Sparks gets just enough to keep it out. <a href="https://t.co/coL7TxrWKq">pic.twitter.com/coL7TxrWKq</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382849349986578432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Gawdin had a fantastic chance to get his team back into the game at the halfway mark of the second period. After a bit of a broken defensive play by Belleville, Luke Philp picked up the puck on the right side and sent it through the crease to a wide-open Gawdin.</p>
<p>The 24-year-old centre beat Mandolese with a rocket of a shot. It slammed into the post and bounced outwards.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Can&#39;t believe Glenn Gawdin missed this. Fired the puck, got everything on it, put it right off the post. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> <a href="https://t.co/IL8t4sazhR">pic.twitter.com/IL8t4sazhR</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382850549545009155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Zavgorodniy finally got the Heat on the board at the 12:23 mark of the second period. He rifled a high wrister short-side on Mandolese to cut the Belleville lead to 3-1.</p>
<p>Colton Beck and Connor Mackey picked up the helpers on Zavgorodniy&#8217;s first professional tally.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨🚨🚨 FIRST AHL GOAL 🚨🚨🚨</p>
<p>Dmitry Zavgorodniy absolutely roofs it to extend his point streak to three games! </p>
<p>Beck and Mackey pick up the helpers on Zavgorodniy&#39;s first of the year. What a great moment. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> <a href="https://t.co/SylSiIHqHK">pic.twitter.com/SylSiIHqHK</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382852672303210500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Sparks let in the very next shot he faced. With C.J. Lerby in the box for roughing, Abramov found an open Egor Sokolov after the offensive zone face-off for a one-timer at the left circle.</p>
<p>Sokolov made no mistake, potting his 11th goal of the season and chasing Sparks just 34 seconds after Zavgorodniy&#8217;s goal. Andrew Shortridge replaced Sparks in the Heat net.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sokolov roofs it, chasing Sparks. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> trail 4-1. <a href="https://t.co/UcOFYvK2Ka">pic.twitter.com/UcOFYvK2Ka</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382853328984367109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Stockton kept pushing to get back into the game in the third period. Beck managed to get some good chances against Mandolese and appeared to have put the puck across the goal line as the clock neared the eight-minute mark of the final frame.</p>
<p>Beck received a one-time pass from Rob Hamilton and fired the puck at the Belleville goal. Mandoelese caught it but the momentum of the puck appeared to push his glove into the net as he made the save. The (non-reviewable) call on the ice was &#8220;no goal.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mandolese with a huge glove save to deny Beck. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> still trail 4-1 in the third period. <a href="https://t.co/3Ca9rduRl9">pic.twitter.com/3Ca9rduRl9</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382863157236928512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>After hitting the post earlier in the game, Gawdin finally managed to beat Mandolese for real as time ticked away in regulation. With Heat alumnus Cody Goloubef off for interference, Gawdin set up shop in front of the Belleville net.</p>
<p>After a long shot by Zac Leslie changed directions with a bounce off Phillips, Mandolese was caught moving the opposite direction of the puck. Gawdin found it loose at the left side of the net and poked it into the yawning cage for his third goal of the season.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gawdin (3) — Phillips, Leslie (PP)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a> trail 4-2. <a href="https://t.co/V9OAxpAtGe">pic.twitter.com/V9OAxpAtGe</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382866740636393474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Despite getting close to three full minutes of 6-on-5 time, the Heat failed to beat Mandolese again and ultimately fell by the same 4-2 score as in Wednesday&#8217;s game.</p>
<h2><strong>Line combinations</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Stockton</strong></p>
<p>Dmitry Zavgorodniy – Giorgio Estephan – Matthew Phillips<br />
Emilio Pettersen – Glenn Gawdin – Luke Philp<br />
Colton Beck – Byron Froese – Eetu Tuulola<br />
Alex Gallant – Mark Simpson – Kris Bennett</p>
<p>Connor Mackey – Zac Leslie<br />
Colton Poolman – Alexander Yelesin<br />
CJ Lerby – Rob Hamilton</p>
<p>Garret Sparks<br />
Andrew Shortridge</p>
<p><strong>Belleville</strong></p>
<p>Angus Crookshank – Mark Kastelic – Egor Sokolov<br />
Joseph LaBate – J.C. Beaudin – Vitaly Abramov<br />
Cole Reinhardt – Cole Cassels – Parker Kelly<br />
Joe Carroll – Curtis Douglas – Jonathan Davidsson</p>
<p>Jonathan Aspirot – Colby Williams<br />
Cody Goloubef – Jack Dougherty<br />
Hubert Labrie – Lassi Thomson</p>
<p>Kevin Mandolese<br />
Filip Gustavsson</p>
<h2><strong>Why the Heat lost</strong></h2>
<p>They took a <em>ton </em>of penalties. Belleville had eight opportunities with the man-advantage, including four in the first period, and quickly seized momentum early in the game. Stockton mustered just two shots (compared to Belleville&#8217;s nine) in the opening 20 minutes.</p>
<p>Sparks had some good stretches in goal but also needed to get some saves on a couple of Belleville&#8217;s goals. Shortridge was perfect in relief but didn&#8217;t face many shots, making six saves over his 24:06 in the Heat crease.</p>
<h2><strong>The hottest Heat</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Dmitry Zavgorodniy</strong> has battled all season and is finally seeing the rewards for his hard work manifesting in front of him. He was one of Stockton&#8217;s most electric players on Thursday, logging big minutes in offensive situations and firing three shots against Mandolese.</p>
<p>With Zavgorodniy firing at all cylinders, the Heat have a valuable top-six option who can make plays very few AHLers could execute. He&#8217;s very similar to Phillips, in that regard.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dmitry Zavgorodniy, asked about his goals for the rest of the season with the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLHeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLHeat</a>:</p>
<p>&quot;Just stay positive. Just play hockey.&quot;</p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Gould (@miketgould) <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382876253858922501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2><strong>Post-game assessments</strong></h2>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Stockton Heat Postgame Quotes: Cail MacLean, April 15, 2021" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YsFKlRPMAKg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Stockton Heat Postgame Quotes: Shortridge &amp; Zavgorodniy, April 15, 2021" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H9wzETIehiM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<h2><strong>Up next</strong></h2>
<p>The Heat will wrap up their homestand against Belleville on Saturday at 2:00 pm MT. You can catch that game on AHL TV; I’ll be posting updates on Twitter at @miketgould.</p>

Dmitry Zavgorodniy: so hot right now!



The 20-year-old AHL rookie endured through a difficult first two months at the professional level earlier this season. Skating in a depth role, he put up zeroes in every offensive category over his first 19 games before being made a healthy scratch on Apr. 2 in Laval.

Since his return to the lineup, Zavgorodniy has become one of Stockton's more dangerous offensive players and is finally starting to find his offensive groove. Maybe that's why they call the AHL a "developmental league"...

Zavgorodniy scored his first AHL goal on Thursday evening while skating in his 23rd game with the Heat. The goal extended Zavgorodniy's point streak to three games and further cemented his spot in the team's top-six up front.

Glenn Gawdin also found the back of the net for Stockton, which eventually lost 4-2 to the Belleville Senators. Cole Reinhart, J.C. Beaudin, Parker Kelly, and Egor Sokolov all scored for the visitors.

Garret Sparks allowed four goals on 16 shots before being pulled in favour of Andrew Shortridge in the second period. 20-year-old B-Sens netminder Kevin Mandolese was fantastic, making 24 saves en route to his second victory as a professional.

Belleville improved to 9-12-1 with the win; Stockton fell to 10-13-1 with the setback. These two teams will conclude their season series this Saturday at 2:00 pm MT.
<h2><strong>The rundown</strong></h2>
Fresh off a two-point effort on Wednesday, Heat forward Matthew Phillips seemed intent on making his mark early in Thursday's game. He made a power move towards the net off a faceoff and drew the game's first penalty in the process.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382835089432662016

Stockton failed to capitalize on its early man-advantage and followed that up by taking four consecutive minor penalties in the first period. Despite spending much of the opening frame on the man-advantage, both of Belleville's first-period goals came at even strength.

Cole Reinhardt tallied the first one, locating the puck high in the air and batting it past Sparks in the slot. Jack Dougherty picked up the assist on Reinhardt's third goal of the season.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382837299386339331

Just 22 seconds later, the Senators doubled their lead. With both Heat defensemen caught below their own goal line, Belleville pulled off a tricky tic-tac-toe passing play and J.C. Beaudin finished it off.

Beaudin played 22 NHL games in Ottawa last year but was still looking for his first goal in the AHL this season. That search has now ended; Vitaly Abramov and Joseph LaBate recorded the helpers on the insurance marker.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382837580438278147

With Stockton reeling and down two players, the Senators continued to push for a greater cushion. Sparks didn't get much help from his defenders and Belleville was able to test him with multiple great scoring opportunities.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382841408529190912

LaBate took a penalty of his own with 1:54 remaining in the first period, sending Stockton to a second power play. Phillips was able to move the puck around effectively in Belleville's zone but Mandolese was up to the task when he attempted to set up Byron Froese for a tap-in.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382841998126706690

LaBate received another infraction right as his first one expired, <a href="https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382846967697444866">getting dinged</a> for playing the puck before fully stepping out of the penalty box. (No, seriously, that's part of the interference rule).

Stockton's third power play did not work as planned. Senators forward Parker Kelly was able to skate the puck down the ice all by himself, deking out Emilio Pettersen in the process, before firing it over Sparks' glove.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382847339350552576

Stockton had a big problem with allowing odd-man rushes in the second period. 6'8", 249-pound Curtis Douglas came barreling down on one of his own and tried to find the same location Kelly did. Sparks got just enough of the puck to keep it out.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382849349986578432

Gawdin had a fantastic chance to get his team back into the game at the halfway mark of the second period. After a bit of a broken defensive play by Belleville, Luke Philp picked up the puck on the right side and sent it through the crease to a wide-open Gawdin.

The 24-year-old centre beat Mandolese with a rocket of a shot. It slammed into the post and bounced outwards.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382850549545009155

Zavgorodniy finally got the Heat on the board at the 12:23 mark of the second period. He rifled a high wrister short-side on Mandolese to cut the Belleville lead to 3-1.

Colton Beck and Connor Mackey picked up the helpers on Zavgorodniy's first professional tally.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382852672303210500

Sparks let in the very next shot he faced. With C.J. Lerby in the box for roughing, Abramov found an open Egor Sokolov after the offensive zone face-off for a one-timer at the left circle.

Sokolov made no mistake, potting his 11th goal of the season and chasing Sparks just 34 seconds after Zavgorodniy's goal. Andrew Shortridge replaced Sparks in the Heat net.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382853328984367109

Stockton kept pushing to get back into the game in the third period. Beck managed to get some good chances against Mandolese and appeared to have put the puck across the goal line as the clock neared the eight-minute mark of the final frame.

Beck received a one-time pass from Rob Hamilton and fired the puck at the Belleville goal. Mandoelese caught it but the momentum of the puck appeared to push his glove into the net as he made the save. The (non-reviewable) call on the ice was "no goal."

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382863157236928512

After hitting the post earlier in the game, Gawdin finally managed to beat Mandolese for real as time ticked away in regulation. With Heat alumnus Cody Goloubef off for interference, Gawdin set up shop in front of the Belleville net.

After a long shot by Zac Leslie changed directions with a bounce off Phillips, Mandolese was caught moving the opposite direction of the puck. Gawdin found it loose at the left side of the net and poked it into the yawning cage for his third goal of the season.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382866740636393474

Despite getting close to three full minutes of 6-on-5 time, the Heat failed to beat Mandolese again and ultimately fell by the same 4-2 score as in Wednesday's game.
<h2><strong>Line combinations</strong></h2>
<strong>Stockton</strong>

Dmitry Zavgorodniy – Giorgio Estephan – Matthew Phillips
Emilio Pettersen – Glenn Gawdin – Luke Philp
Colton Beck – Byron Froese – Eetu Tuulola
Alex Gallant – Mark Simpson – Kris Bennett

Connor Mackey – Zac Leslie
Colton Poolman – Alexander Yelesin
CJ Lerby – Rob Hamilton

Garret Sparks
Andrew Shortridge

<strong>Belleville</strong>

Angus Crookshank – Mark Kastelic – Egor Sokolov
Joseph LaBate – J.C. Beaudin – Vitaly Abramov
Cole Reinhardt – Cole Cassels – Parker Kelly
Joe Carroll – Curtis Douglas – Jonathan Davidsson

Jonathan Aspirot – Colby Williams
Cody Goloubef – Jack Dougherty
Hubert Labrie – Lassi Thomson

Kevin Mandolese
Filip Gustavsson
<h2><strong>Why the Heat lost</strong></h2>
They took a <em>ton </em>of penalties. Belleville had eight opportunities with the man-advantage, including four in the first period, and quickly seized momentum early in the game. Stockton mustered just two shots (compared to Belleville's nine) in the opening 20 minutes.

Sparks had some good stretches in goal but also needed to get some saves on a couple of Belleville's goals. Shortridge was perfect in relief but didn't face many shots, making six saves over his 24:06 in the Heat crease.
<h2><strong>The hottest Heat</strong></h2>
<strong>Dmitry Zavgorodniy</strong> has battled all season and is finally seeing the rewards for his hard work manifesting in front of him. He was one of Stockton's most electric players on Thursday, logging big minutes in offensive situations and firing three shots against Mandolese.

With Zavgorodniy firing at all cylinders, the Heat have a valuable top-six option who can make plays very few AHLers could execute. He's very similar to Phillips, in that regard.

https://twitter.com/miketgould/status/1382876253858922501
<h2><strong>Post-game assessments</strong></h2>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsFKlRPMAKg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9wzETIehiM
<h2><strong>Up next</strong></h2>
The Heat will wrap up their homestand against Belleville on Saturday at 2:00 pm MT. You can catch that game on AHL TV; I’ll be posting updates on Twitter at @miketgould.

Post-Game: Zavgorodniy nets his first but Heat drop another decision

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