If Connor Mackey scored the final American Hockey League goal at the Stockton Arena, it was a good one.

With just over five minutes remaining in overtime of Game 5 between the Stockton Arena and Chicago Wolves, the 25-year-old defenceman took a feed in the high slot and wired a wrist shot past Wolves goaltender @Alex Lyon.
Mackey&#8217;s first career AHL playoff goal kept the Heat alive in the Western Conference Final.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Never in doubt. <a href="https://t.co/amey5oss6E">pic.twitter.com/amey5oss6E</a>
&mdash; y &#8211; Stockton Heat (@AHLHeat) <a href="https://twitter.com/AHLHeat/status/1535841893237420032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Heat dropped the first three games of the series — two in Rosemont, IL, one in Stockton — before roaring back to win back-to-back overtime games at home. The Western Conference Final now shifts back to Illinois for Game 6 and (if necessary) a winner-take-all Game 7.
It&#8217;s not as though Stockton was grossly outplayed in its losses against Chicago. Games 1 and 2 both ended with the Wolves up by one goal; Game 3 saw Dustin Wolf make 27 saves in a 3–0 Heat loss.
Stockton took Games 4 and 5 despite being without top-six centres Adam Ruzicka and Luke Philp. Glenn Gawdin and Byron Froese have both risen to the occasion in big ways, with Gawdin scoring the OT winner in Game 4 and Froese setting up Mackey&#8217;s clincher in Game 5.
Even if the Heat fall on Tuesday evening, they have a lot to be proud of. They&#8217;ve won eight playoff games, including two against the AHL&#8217;s top team in the regular season.
If they can push this series to Game 7 and win, they&#8217;ll become legendary. Only three AHL teams have ever come back from 0–3 series deficits to advance.
The Heat are halfway there.
<h2>Projected lineups</h2>
These combinations are based, in part, on those used in these teams’ previous games. 
Stockton Heat
@Justin Kirkland – @Glenn Gawdin – @Matthew Phillips 
@Jakob Pelletier – @Byron Froese – @Martin Pospisil 
@Emilio Pettersen – @Connor Zary – @Eetu Tuulola 
@Alex Gallant – Rory Kerins – @Walker Duehr
@Kevin Gravel – @Colton Poolman 
@Connor Mackey – @Nick DeSimone 
@Juuso Valimaki – @Andy Welinski
@Dustin Wolf 
@Adam Werner
Chicago Wolves
CJ Smith – @Andrew Poturalski – @Stefan Noesen 
@Josh Leivo – @Jack Drury – David Gust 
@Noel Gunler – Vasili Ponomarev – @Richard Panik 
Stelio Mattheos – @Jamieson Rees – Spencer Smallman
Max Lajoie – @Jalen Chatfield 
Jesper Sellgren – @Joey Keane 
Cavan Fitzgerald – Josh Jacobs
@Alex Lyon 
@Pyotr Kochetkov
<h2>Playoff scoring stars</h2>
This section excludes players recalled to the NHL or on assignment to other leagues.
Stockton Heat
<ol>
<li>Justin Kirkland — 12 GP, 7 G, 12 P</li>
<li>Byron Froese — 12 GP, 1 G, 10 P</li>
<li>Matthew Phillips — 12 GP, 3 G, 8 P</li>
<li>Jakob Pelletier — 12 GP, 4 G, 7 P</li>
<li>Glenn Gawdin — 9 GP, 3 G, 6 P</li>
</ol>
Chicago Wolves
<ol>
<li>Josh Leivo — 12 GP, 10 G, 19 P</li>
<li>Jack Drury — 12 GP, 7 G, 16 P</li>
<li>Stefan Noesen — 12 GP, 7 G, 15 P</li>
<li>Andrew Poturalski — 12 GP, 4 G, 13 P</li>
<li>David Gust — 12 GP, 3 G, 10 P</li>
</ol>
<h2>Heating up</h2>
Heat captain Byron Froese has beautifully risen to the occasion with his team&#8217;s season on the line.
The 31-year-old centre has slid into a top-six role in the last two games and has responded with four assists, including the primary helper on Glenn Gawdin&#8217;s last-second equalizer in Game 4.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICYMI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICYMI</a>: Glenn Gawdin (<a href="https://twitter.com/AHLHeat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AHLHeat</a>) tied up <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CHIvsSTK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CHIvsSTK</a> last night with just 49 seconds left in regulation. <a href="https://t.co/z4GS4IuBwE">pic.twitter.com/z4GS4IuBwE</a>
&mdash; American Hockey League (@TheAHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAHL/status/1535664648522981376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h2>How to watch</h2>
Game 6 in Rosemont, IL will be broadcast on <a href="https://www.watchtheahl.com/">AHL TV</a> (subscription required) and on <a href="http://spreaker.com/user/stocktonheat">Spreaker</a> (audio only), with the opening puck-drop set for 6:00 p.m. MT.
FlamesNation contributors Paige Siewert and Mike Gould will provide live game updates on Twitter. Additionally, you&#8217;ll be able to follow along at <a href="https://theahl.com/">TheAHL.com</a>.
<hr />
<h2><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer follow" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1637192862258000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3dLuPqW6rbyceDwC6Lbc9o" data-wpel-link="internal">HEAT GAME PREVIEW BROUGHT TO YOU BY DAILYFACEOFF</a></h2>
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If Connor Mackey scored the final American Hockey League goal at the Stockton Arena, it was a good one.



With just over five minutes remaining in overtime of Game 5 between the Stockton Arena and Chicago Wolves, the 25-year-old defenceman took a feed in the high slot and wired a wrist shot past Wolves goaltender @Alex Lyon.

Mackey's first career AHL playoff goal kept the Heat alive in the Western Conference Final.

https://twitter.com/AHLHeat/status/1535841893237420032

The Heat dropped the first three games of the series — two in Rosemont, IL, one in Stockton — before roaring back to win back-to-back overtime games at home. The Western Conference Final now shifts back to Illinois for Game 6 and (if necessary) a winner-take-all Game 7.

It's not as though Stockton was grossly outplayed in its losses against Chicago. Games 1 and 2 both ended with the Wolves up by one goal; Game 3 saw Dustin Wolf make 27 saves in a 3–0 Heat loss.

Stockton took Games 4 and 5 despite being without top-six centres Adam Ruzicka and Luke Philp. Glenn Gawdin and Byron Froese have both risen to the occasion in big ways, with Gawdin scoring the OT winner in Game 4 and Froese setting up Mackey's clincher in Game 5.

Even if the Heat fall on Tuesday evening, they have a lot to be proud of. They've won eight playoff games, including two against the AHL's top team in the regular season.

If they can push this series to Game 7 and win, they'll become legendary. Only three AHL teams have ever come back from 0–3 series deficits to advance.

The Heat are halfway there.
<h2>Projected lineups</h2>
These combinations are based, in part, on those used in these teams’ previous games. 

Stockton Heat

@Justin Kirkland – @Glenn Gawdin – @Matthew Phillips
@Jakob Pelletier – @Byron Froese – @Martin Pospisil
@Emilio Pettersen – @Connor Zary – @Eetu Tuulola
@Alex Gallant – Rory Kerins – @Walker Duehr

@Kevin Gravel – @Colton Poolman
@Connor Mackey – @Nick DeSimone
@Juuso Valimaki – @Andy Welinski

@Dustin Wolf
@Adam Werner

Chicago Wolves

CJ Smith – @Andrew Poturalski – @Stefan Noesen
@Josh Leivo – @Jack Drury – David Gust
@Noel Gunler – Vasili Ponomarev – @Richard Panik
Stelio Mattheos – @Jamieson Rees – Spencer Smallman

Max Lajoie – @Jalen Chatfield
Jesper Sellgren – @Joey Keane
Cavan Fitzgerald – Josh Jacobs

@Alex Lyon
@Pyotr Kochetkov
<h2>Playoff scoring stars</h2>
This section excludes players recalled to the NHL or on assignment to other leagues.

Stockton Heat
<ol>
 	<li>Justin Kirkland — 12 GP, 7 G, 12 P</li>
 	<li>Byron Froese — 12 GP, 1 G, 10 P</li>
 	<li>Matthew Phillips — 12 GP, 3 G, 8 P</li>
 	<li>Jakob Pelletier — 12 GP, 4 G, 7 P</li>
 	<li>Glenn Gawdin — 9 GP, 3 G, 6 P</li>
</ol>
Chicago Wolves
<ol>
 	<li>Josh Leivo — 12 GP, 10 G, 19 P</li>
 	<li>Jack Drury — 12 GP, 7 G, 16 P</li>
 	<li>Stefan Noesen — 12 GP, 7 G, 15 P</li>
 	<li>Andrew Poturalski — 12 GP, 4 G, 13 P</li>
 	<li>David Gust — 12 GP, 3 G, 10 P</li>
</ol>
<h2>Heating up</h2>
Heat captain Byron Froese has beautifully risen to the occasion with his team's season on the line.

The 31-year-old centre has slid into a top-six role in the last two games and has responded with four assists, including the primary helper on Glenn Gawdin's last-second equalizer in Game 4.

https://twitter.com/TheAHL/status/1535664648522981376
<h2>How to watch</h2>
Game 6 in Rosemont, IL will be broadcast on <a href="https://www.watchtheahl.com/">AHL TV</a> (subscription required) and on <a href="http://spreaker.com/user/stocktonheat">Spreaker</a> (audio only), with the opening puck-drop set for 6:00 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 <a href="https://theahl.com/">TheAHL.com</a>.

<hr />

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Heat Playoff Game Day: Time for the toughest test yet (6:00 p.m. MT)

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