By Mike Cadarette (Contributor) – Email
It’s tough to find a more successful team in all of hockey right now, especially after the Heat added five of a possible six points as well as an AHL record this weekend. The Heat now sit alone in first place in the AHL.
On Friday night, the Heat came out victorious in a 1-0 overtime win over the Dallas Stars’ affiliate Texas Stars. The game was a defensive battle from the outset where the goaltending battle quickly became the story of the night.
Danny Taylor, who was first star of the game, was eventually able to preserve the shutout win after Chris Breen blasted a slap shot past Stars’ netminder Cristopher Nilstorp to win the game just eight seconds into the extra period.
The following night, the Heat would collect another two points in the standings after an electrifying 11 round 3-2 shootout win over the San Antonio Rampage.
Yet, the story of the night was not the old fashioned San Antonio shootout. Coming into Saturday’s game, Barry Brust needed less than a period to beat Hockey Hall of Fame legend Johnny Bower’s 55-year-old AHL shutout streak record. Brust would do just that and more by not allowing a goal in 268 minutes and 17 seconds (Bower’s record was 249 minutes and 51 seconds).
However, all good things must come to and end. Brust’s shutout streak was broken with less than four minutes left in the second period by Rampage forward James Wright’s game-tying powerplay goal. Less than two minutes later, Quintin Howden would put the Rampage up by two goals heading into the third period.
With 14 seconds left in the game, Ben Olson would be the hero for the Heat tying the game 2-2 to force overtime. Overtime would solve nothing, so the two teams headed to the shootout. In the eleventh round of the shootout, Carter Bancks scored to win the game 3-2.
On Sunday afternoon, Abbotsford lost 3-2 in overtime against the Houston Aeros. This contest marked the Heat’s third game in less than 48 hours.
In the first period, Ben Olson tied the game at 1-1 heading into the first intermission. Down 2-1 in the third period, Joe Piskula scored on a shot from the blue line mid-way through the period to tie it up.
However, the Aeros didn’t need much of the extra frame before Jason Zucker beat Danny Taylor just five seconds into overtime. Zucker’s goal tied an AHL record for the fastest overtime goal.
The Abbotsford Heat will return to the AESC on November 30 and December 1 to take on the Canadiens’ affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs.
