STOCKTON, Calif. – The Stockton Heat opened their third season at home defeating the Bakersfield Condors with a final score of 4-1, with much of the credit going to Jon Gillies in the Stockton net.
Gillies kept the Heat in the game through a scoreless first period, as the rest of his team seemed to getting a feel for the ice.
“[Gillies] was excellent early on. He kept us in the game,” said Heat Coach Ryan Huska. “I thought we got better as the night went on. There’s a lot for us to work on, but I thought it was positive that we were able to get two points.”
Stockton Heat goalie Jon Gillies (32) makes a save in the middle of a scrum of players during first period action – Photo by Jack Lima
Late in the first period, Stockton took three penalties in a row, ultimately causing them to try to hold off a barrage of Condors shots on net, with only three skaters. By the end of the period, Gillies had turned away 18 shots, while there were only four shots against the Condor net.
The first goal of the season was scored on a power play, when Andrew Mangiapane was able to redirect the blocked puck past Nick Ellis. Morgan Klimchuk and Rasmus Andersson assisted on the play at the 10:04 mark. But the Condors evened the score about two minutes later, when Ethan Bear’s slap shot up the slot beat Gillies high in the net.
Condors goalie Nick Ellis stops a breakaway attempt from Ryan Lomberg – Photo by Jack Lima
The energy picked up and the players were more chippy. Oliver Kylington was boarded in the offensive zone by Mitch Callahan behind the net. Unfortunately, Joseph Cramarossa came away with a misconduct penalty.
With the Heat on the penalty kill, Mark Jankowski stole the puck from the offensive zone and raced down in front of the benches, all the way to the net, and beat Ellis glove side for the short-handed, go-ahead goal, with 2:41 remaining.
Jankowski talked about the goal after the game, referring to Andersson, who flanked him towards the net, just on the other side of the Condor defenseman.
Ryan Lomberg (L) and Anton Slepyshev (33) chase after the puck along the boards – Photo by Jack Lima
When asked if he planned to make the play to the net alone, he replied, “No, the whole time I was waiting for the [defenseman] to make a move, so I could pass it over [to Andersson]. But [the defenseman] held, and took the pass away, so I realized I had to shoot.”
Stockton led 2-1 going into the third period. About midway into the period, Kylington made a shot from in front of the net, but Ellis couldn’t hold on, and it bounced out where Jankowski wristed it to the back of the net.
Morgan Klimchuk (C) draws a holding penalty from Anton Slepyshev (33) – Photo by Jack Lima
Bakersfield pulled Ellis with about three minutes remaining in the game for the extra skater. In the final second, Garnet Hathaway was able to push the puck towards the net for the goal and the 4-1 win.
“I think we were trying to be too cute and make pretty plays, and be on the perimeter too much,” said Jankowski after the game, about the efforts of the first period. “We talked it about as a group. We needed to get some pucks in the net and funnel it down there to create a little havoc.”
Heat goalie Jon Gillies stops a shot attempt by Joey LaLeggia (17) – Photo by Jack Lima
The penalties in the first period presented some problems according to Huska.
“Another lesson for us, I think we had five slashing minors. Our players were told about the standards that were going to be called. We have to be better in that area. We can’t allow that to continue, because you don’t give yourself a chance to win, if you’re sitting in the box,” said Huska.
The Heat skated in a special edition sweater bearing the Port of Stockton logo, in black and white, with the Calgary logo on the shoulder.
Stockton continues their home stand against the San Jose Barracuda on Saturday night.
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