CAVENDISH FARMS REPORT - 11.04.22

Already best in class but still getting better, the Stockton Heat are primed to hit the playoffs in stride.
They collected three of a possible four points against second-place Ontario over the weekend, a pair of shootout tilts with one going each way. Both teams earned three points in the standings in a clash of the top two teams in the Pacific Division, maintaining the status quo.

Entering the weekend, leaving the weekend, the picture is mostly the same, the only change being the runway shortened for the team chasing. To sum it up, Stockton leads by seven points with eight games to play. The club's division-clinching 'Magic Number' sits at eight points, a number that falls with every point added by the Heat or missed by the Reign, with a three-game week lying ahead.
"I thought we played some pretty good hockey," said Heat head coach Mitch Love on the two-game set that lived up to its billing. "Disappointing result in that second game, but three out of four points against a good hockey team who was behind us in the standings and really pressing to gain some ground on us. At the end of the day, we didn't play a great last 26 minutes of hockey. We allowed them times to get back, then we took momentum back.
"Overall, a fun weekend of hockey. Our guys enjoyed it. Both buildings enjoyed it. We'll learn from what happened yesterday and get back to work tomorrow in Henderson."
That's where the room for improvement lies for Stockton - finding that killer instinct that'll be necessary to close out series in the second season. In a weekend where Ontario needed both games, Stockton started strong and held on for the extra point in Friday's matchup, emerging victorious with a 3-2 win. On Sunday, the team started as scripted - a 3-0 lead late into the second period - but a desperate Ontario club rallied to push the game to a shootout and eventually take the win.
The success the Heat have experienced thus far this year is unprecedented, not just for the club but for the AHL. Stockton is the fastest team to 90 points in the history of the Pacific Division, reaching the mark in 60 games. They're the sixth team ever from the western-most grouping to reach 90 points, the fifth to do so with a 68-game slate. A 100-point season is possible, needing to win five of the final eight games against Henderson, Tucson, Abbotsford, Bakersfield and San Diego - teams against which the Heat have a combined record of 23-6-4 on the year.
The prospect of Stockton getting better, sharpening the relative weak spots in their game, is a warning shot to the rest of the league as focus turns to the playoffs.
"Once we got that lead, I thought we maybe sat back a little too much," said Justin Kirkland, who netted a pair of goals in Sunday's game and scored in each shootout over the weekend. "We got away from what was making us successful in the game, our aggressive forecheck. We were really wearing them down. In the second and third we gave them too much room and that came back to bite us.
"Come playoff time, when we have a team on the ropes like that, we have to continue to play that way. That's why we were successful. When you find yourself in that situation, where we thought we'd play really well for 40 minutes, we have to bring that 60-minute, consistent effort."
Stockton is on the mountain top right now, first in the division, first in the conference, first in the league. They've grown used to wearing the bullseye on their back, as they've occupied the throne for the vast majority of the season. Where they find themselves down the stretch is intriguing.
In the short term, with some help they can clinch a division crown this week. For the rest of the way, four of their five opponents are playoff teams, fighting for seeding. The three-game set against Henderson, up next on the docket, is a chance to show immediate corrections to what went awry Sunday and also close out the season series against a club that has given the Heat some headaches with wins in three of the five head-to-head matchups on the year.
"Nothing changes for us," said forward Connor Zary, who has goals in three of the last four games. "Maybe it's in the back of our heads, that we can stay atop the division. That's where we want to be. That won't change how we play or how we go about things. We know we're there to win games, that's what we're there to do.
"Henderson has given us some problems this year, but we've grown a lot since the last time we played them. We're a way different team. We're really coming together, striving and pushing towards our goal of the playoffs. It'll be a huge week for us, but if we stay to our own and play our game we'll be fine."

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:

Friday vs. Ontario - W, 3-2 (SO)
Sunday at Ontario - SOL, 6-5

QUICK HITS:

THEY SAID IT:

"You can see the confidence growing in (Connor Zary's) puck play. He's a confident offensive player. He's getting more and more poised with the puck, making plays, using his shot. Good things happen when you're playing with confidence as an offensive player. He's done a really good job. I've seen a lot of growth in his game over the course of the year, not just with the puck but away from the puck."
- Mitch Love on Connor Zary's recent play
"(Justin Kirkland) has been really good for us for some time now. His leadership, he's more of a quiet guy but his quiet leadership, the way he plays the game, the pro he is, he's playing good hockey in a tough time of year. Everything's tighter. Everything's harder. He's elevated his game. That's a really good sign for us. You can see the confidence in him nightly, his physical play, scoring goals for us on the powerplay, 5-on-5, he's had a great year and we need him to continue to do that."
- Love on Justin Kirkland's contributions
"We've got to focus in on ourselves, correct a few things that we feel slipped a little bit in Sunday's game, be a little more stingy and harder to play against in the more competitive areas of the ice. Ironically, Henderson tests all those things. They're a big, heavy hockey team, starting to play better here of late. We're going to go into their new building there. It'll be a different environment than our guys are used to. Three games in four nights, it'll be exciting, and we'll have to take care of our business and see what ends up happening at the end of the day."
- Love on the team's mindset while nearing a division championship
"For a personal milestone, (20 goals for the season) is one that had a lot of emotion in it. That's a lot of hard work behind the scenes in the summer time. I felt like I worked my tail off, and to see the results show for themselves throughout the year, it's exciting. It's encouraging. I've always believed in myself that I was able to do it. Obviously, it's a good personal season but I'm not chasing personal accolades, we're chasing a Calder Cup right now, so that's where our focus is."
- Justin Kirkland on reaching the 20-goal mark
"That's huge. (Ontario is) one of the best teams in the league, just like us. To win games and get points when they're needed, play well when it's needed, that's huge for us. We have to keep pushing here. We have three games coming up in Las Vegas and we need points to stay above them at the top and close out the division. The next couple of weeks here will be huge to get more wins under our belt."
- Connor Zary on the team elevating play in big matchups