By Sean Evans (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: April 4, 2012
With just six games remaining in the regular season, the Abbotsford Heat currently sit in fourth spot. The fight for the five possible playoff spots will likely come down to the final game of the season, as there are only four points separating fourth place and 10th place. Even more concerning for the Heat, they sit only one point ahead of sixth and fifth place. The Heat are in desperate need of a strong finish if they hope to see post-season ice.
With their playoff hopes on the line, the Heat faced off against the Chicago Wolves this past weekend. As always, the Wolves, affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks, had the crowd in the AESC on their side. The games against the Wolves this season have had by far the largest in attendance, and proved to be a good opportunity to sell the Heat as a viable, inexpensive, professional hockey experience in the Fraser Valley. The Heat took advantage of that opportunity over two games last weekend, playing two thrillers that went into overtime and a shootout.
On Friday night the Heat fell 5-4 in a shootout. The high scoring affair was led by goals from Dustin Sylvester, Hugh Jessiman, Joe Piskula and Krys Kolanos; a positive sign for a team that has not seen widespread scoring for some time. In fact, the Heat have scored 14 goals in their last three games. That is just the kind of production that could help propel them into the postseason.
On last Saturday night, the Heat were looking to take three of the possible four points from the Wolves. They were successful, even though it took a few extra minutes. In front of a crowd of 7044, the fourth sell-out in franchise history, the Heat took the game by a score of 4-3 in overtime. Greg Nemisz opened the scoring in the first, and Kry Kolanos and Clay Wilson each potted one in the second. Then, with just 11.9 seconds remaining in overtime, Brian Connelly scored off a beauty of a pass from Ben Walter.
The three points earned from the Wolves go a long way toward keeping the Heat in the hunt for one of the five coveted playoff spots.
This Wednesday night, April 4, the Heat will play another important game against the Rochester Americans who currently sit four point back of the Heat, and a playoff spot. The game will be the first inaugural Punjabi night at the AESC – featuring Punjabi music, food and dance.
