Big Second Period Propels Heat to 5-2 Win over Colorado
Dec 18, 2021
STOCKTON, CA. – The Stockton Heat netted four goals in the second period to propel them to a 5-2 win over the Colorado Eagles on Saturday. Eagles forwards Ryan Wagner and Dalton Smith each scored a goal in the loss. Heat goaltender Dustin Wolf earned his 14th win of the season, making 26 saves on 28 shots. Colorado goalie Trent Miner suffered the loss, allowing three goals on 22 shots.
The first period saw Stockton outshoot Colorado 9-8, but some stellar netminding from Wolf and Miner kept both teams off the scoresheet and the Eagles and Heat would head to the first intermission with the game still scoreless.
The game would take a dramatic turn in the second period, as Stockton would outscore Colorado 4-0 in the middle frame. The first tally would come just 3:12 into the period when forward Jakob Pelletier spun and fired a shot from the right-wing circle that would beat Miner and give the Heat a 1-0 edge in the contest.
Stockton would strike again when forward Walker Duehr stepped into a slapshot from the blue line and lit the lamp to extend the Heat’s lead to 2-0 at the 15:16 mark of the second stanza. The lead would grow just 1:26 later when forward Eetu Tuulola snapped a wrister from the right-wing circle that would find the back of the net and put Stockton on top, 3-0. The goal would also spell the end of the night for Miner, who gave way to Justus Annunen in net for the duration of the contest.
An Eagles power play late in the second period would take a bad turn when the Heat sprung a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush that would result in forward Luke Philp tipping a cross-slot pass and beating Annunen to expand Stockton’s advantage to 4-0 with 1:58 remaining in the period.
Still trailing 4-0 as they hit the ice for the third period, the Eagles would bite back when Wagner smashed home a pass from behind the net at the top of the crease to trim the deficit to 4-1 at the 4:10 mark of the final frame.
The Heat’s lead would take another blow five minutes later, as Smith deflected a centering pass in the low slot past Wolf to slice Stockton’s advantage to 4-2.
As time ticked down inside the final four minutes of the contest, Colorado would pull Annunen in favor of the extra attacker. However, it would be Duehr who would capitalize with the empty-netter for his second goal of the night.
The Eagles were outshot in the contest 30-28, as Colorado went 0-for-4 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.
The Eagles will be back in action when they return home to take on the San Jose Barracuda on Tuesday, December 21st at 7:05 pm MT at the Budweiser Events Center. Tickets for all regular-season games are on sale now and start at just $19. You can find more information on ticket packages, theme tickets, and promotional nights, by visiting ColoradoEagles.com or by calling the ticket department at (970) 686-7468.
