The Abbotsford Heat are on the road this week, with three games of the must-win variety. Wednesday and Friday give the Calgary Flames AHL affiliate a chance at points against the last place Hamilton Bulldogs, while Saturday offers an afternoon tilt against the division-leading Toronto Marlies. The Heat are in tough to make the playoffs, having won just three of their last ten games.
More after the jump.
At the Abbotsford Heat game last night, I got some great shots (and some not so marvellous pictures, too, but that’s the way she goes). Here’s something a little different. Check out this pic of Brad Mills drawing a penalty shot in the second period. Then look below to see a shot by Heat photographer Clint Trahan of the exact same moment in the game — there’s me photobombing the shot behind Danny Taylor in the Abbotsford net.
Hockey Day in Canada brought good things to Vancouver-area teams this year, as the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Giants, Abbotsford Heat, Simon Fraser University Clan and UBC Lady Thunderbirds all posted wins on Saturday, February 9. Acting as the exception to the rule, the UBC men’s team suffered a 5-2 loss to the visiting University of Alberta Golden Bears.
More, including post-game reaction from the bowels of the AESC, after the jump.
Continue reading Hockey Day in Canada good to YVR-based teams
Congratulations to the pride of Coquitlam, BC, Ben Street on this Hockey Day in Canada. He makes his NHL debut tonight with the Calgary Flames at the age of 25 after being called up from his assignment with the Abbotsford Heat in the American Hockey League. He currently leads the offensively-challenged Heat in scoring, with 31 points in 44 games.
Street went undrafted by NHL teams, but earned a professional tryout contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010 after solid performance with his college team, the Wisconsin Badgers. He won Rookie of the Year in the ECHL Wheeling Nailers before being promoted to the AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Despite more solid numbers there — he got 57 points in 71 games last year with responsible two-way play — the depth chart up the middle in Pittsburgh is reportedly tough to crack. Some guy named Crosby, and another dude named Malkin, for starters.
Street signed with the Flames as a free agent in the off-season with the hopes of doing exactly what he does tonight: dressing for the big club just a few games into the post-lockout season.
Rip it up, big guy.
The Abbotsford Heat hosted the Rochester Americans in a rare morning game this week, and outlasted the visitors 3-2 in front of an energetic school aged crowd. Danny Taylor made 17 stops, earning his eighth win in his last 11 starts. Both defenseman Brett Carson and forward Ben Street had a goal and an assist in the victory.
With the win, the Heat maintained their position atop the North Division, two points clear of second-place Lake Erie Monsters. They now have 55 points in 46 games, and are the only team remaining in the AHL to have allowed fewer than 100 goals on the season thus far.
Pucked in the Head was at the AESC, and is happy to file this game report. Post-game quotes and photo gallery after the jump.
Continue reading Abbotsford Heat greets morning crowd with win
If you paid any attention to the Abbotsford Heat during the recent NHL labour dispute, you took notice of a couple of things:
1) The Heat gave up fewer goals than any other team in the league.
2) Barry Brust gave up fewer goals than any other goaltender on the Heat roster.
It’s a strange thing, even for longtime fans of the Heat. I mean, who is this guy, right? Brust came in on a one-year contract, but his name seemed to ring a few bells… And Flames fans are asking questions after looking at the numbers for their farm team.
More on Brust’s frustrating dance with the Flames after the jump.
The Abbotsford Heat won their fourth game in a row with a 2-0 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre on Sunday afternoon. Barry Brust, fresh off being named to the AHL All-Star Game being played in a week’s time, collected his fourth shutout of the season.
It was a good end to a 10-game home stand for the Heat, who had at one point fallen from first overall in the American Hockey League to eighth in the Western Conference. With the perfect weekend against the Nashville Predators farm team, the Heat now have 49 points in 40 games, good for fifth in the West. They are tied in points with the North Division leading Toronto, but have played two more games than the Marlies.
The Heat got goals from forward Krys Kolanos and blueliner Brett Carson, the same two goal-scorers from the previous night’s 2-1 victory over the Admirals. Below you can listen to Carson’s post-game reaction from that game. It marks two goals in two starts for Carson, who took 34 games to score that many in the AHL last season. Both players were on the bubble of making the opening night Calgary Flames roster, but were late cuts in the shortened training camp once the NHL lockout ended 10 days ago.
More pictures and video after the jump.
Continue reading Photo Gallery – Abbotsford Heat vs Milwaukee Admirals
The Chicago Wolves won back-to-back games against the Abbotsford Heat this weekend, including a 1-0 shutout win on Saturday night. Here’s a collection of images from that contest, for your ogling pleasure. All photos by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Check out the rest of the pics after the jump. Continue reading Photo Gallery – Abbotsford Heat vs Chicago Wolves
Pucked in the Head is happy to have the one and only Kennedy Goodkey guest posting for us this evening. Please hold your applause until the end of the introductory paragraph. Mr Goodkey has joined us for a couple of podcast episodes in the past, most notably in Top 7 Canucks Nicknames, Part I & Part II.
This marks the first time he has trekked up the road to an Abbotsford Heat AHL game, and it happened to be on the very day that NHL hockey was officially announced to be coming back from the lockout. He decided to record a running commentary of the evening as he went, warts and all. By ‘running commentary’, I mean just that. He goes from folk rock to sports aha-moments to popcorn in, dude, mere seconds. And by ‘warts and all’, I mean ‘complete with double spaces after periods, like some retired receptionist who still thinks Robert Goulet is just the dreamiest. I can say that because I am, in fact, Robert Goulet.
Not to take anything away from Kennedy’s usage of the word ‘antipodal’ — which is awesome, by the way, my favourite part is when he writes, “I must be some kind of elitist hockey-jerk.” But don’t let me spoil everything for you. Have a gander after the jump, and enjoy! Just remember that Mr Goodkey’s opinions are entirely his own, and with the exception of his loathing for the song Cotton-Eyed Joe, they do not reflect the deep, inner love and respect for all human life levels of hockey that Chris Withers and I hold dear.
— Jason Kurylo, who is, like, totally bogarting Kennedy’s opening
Continue reading A Little Bit of Id Salad, by Kennedy Goodkey
The Abbotsford Heat earned a split in their back-to-back set against the Rochester Americans with a 3-1 victory on Saturday night. After the jump, grab a gander at some images from the contest. Or just read about it here.
Either way, give a guy a hand with some fundraising for the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
Continue reading Photo gallery – Abbotsford Heat vs Rochester Americans, part two
