With 105 dogs in the house along with 2,210 fans the Heat square off against the Rampage in a game which could make or break the season for any upcoming play-off action.
Sunday’s action was due to Oly’s Pet Connection and called ‘Two Minutes for Ruffing’.
This was a game where fans were invited to bring their K-9 friends to the game in support of the Abbotsford SPCA. It was well attended and everyone I spoke to, quite enjoyed it.
The game features two of the AHL’s Western Conference teams that currently see The Heat have played one more game (67) than the Rampage who have 35 wins vs. 3 for the Heat.
The Rampage has 174 GF and 181 GA while the Heat has 162 GF and 182 GA, but are looking at moving up in the standings and overtaking the Rampage.
Both Greg Nemisz, and Guillaume Desbiens have returned for their first action with the Heat since being reassigned by the Calgary Flames following a 7-game stint with the parent club.
Desbiens wore the Captain’s ‘C’ and had a scrap, while Nemisz recorded a team high five shots in the loss.
Danny Taylor has been superb in two starts against the Lone Star outfit, having allowed just one goal in two wins; while Leland Irving seems to thrive on playing time as last season’s AHL minutes played leader.
The Rampage bring three ex-Giant’s (Michal Repik, James Wright and Wacy Rabbit) to the line-up along with lower mainland product Brandon Kearns, who has family on hand for the game.
Wright, Repik and Rabbit had solid careers with the Giants with all winning a Memorial Cup in 07 and all selected in the NHL Entry Draft following a solid career with Don Hay’s crew.
Rabbit was selected in the 05 draft by Boston and Wright was chosen by Tampa Bay in the 08 draft and Repik was chosen in the 07 draft.
The game was the first of six Sunday contests this season that the Heat won, and it happened despite the home team allowing three goals on the first six shots of the game.
The win gives the Heat 77 points, which temporarily moves them out of the four-way tie for fifth and into sole possession of the fourth and final home-ice playoff position.
Krys Kolanos was named the games first star with a solid performance and managed to score three goals, with the first coming in the late stages of the opening period as the Heat had a five-on-three.
He took his shot from the left circle and somehow it managed to trickle through the legs of netminder cutting the lead to 3-1 heading to the break.
The Heat rally continued when Sylvester took a pass from Kolanos on a two-on-one at 15:33 and hammered home his 13th of the season.
The Rampage extended their lead to 4-2, but the Heat continued to press. Kolanos buried his second of the night on shot from the slot which was all set up by the hard work of Byron and Piskula.
The Heat trailed 4-3 after 40, but Walter’s first of two would tie the game just 1:28 into the frame.
At 14:41, Walter did it again, as he poked in a loose puck on a scramble at the Rampage net on a power play.
It was Walter’s 16th of the season which gave the Heat a 5-4 lead and their first lead of the afternoon.
Kolanos got his hat trick goal at the 15:42 converting a pass from Sylvester making it his 22nd of the season that would eventually stand as the winner. It was his fifth point of the afternoon’s contest.
Kolanos’ five points give him 48 on the season in just 40 games played, while Ben Walter keeps his team lead in points as he potted two goals and added an assist to push his season total to 50 points.
Other multipoint performances included a goal and an assist for Dustin Sylvester, and two assist nights for Paul Byron and Hugh Jessiman.
Danny Taylor started for the Heat but was replaced by Leland Irving after a period of work.
Taylor stopped three of six shots faced, while Irving allowed two goals over the game’s final 40 minutes on fourteen shots against.
The Heat PP were 2-4 but allowed a SH goal, while the PK killed two of three man-advantages.
With the win the Heat saw off the season series with four wins from the eight meetings, both teams earned three of their four wins in hostile territory as the home teams struggled with regularity.
Just eight games remain in the regular season for the Heat; two in Charlotte while the other six are on home ice.
Photo by http://www.dlairdallan.ca/
