Baertshi keeps up hot streak with two points as Heat down IceHogs 5-3

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – Abbotsford’s Sven Baertschi continued his hot streak, scoring a goal and assisting on another to help lift the Heat to a 5-3 victory over the Rockford IceHogs in American Hockey League action on Saturday.

Baertschi, currently riding a five game point streak, scored the game winner for Abbotsford. The 21-year-old Swiss native currently has 10 points over that span.

Baertschi made it 4-1 for Abbotsford at 1:25 of the third when he recovered a missed Kane Lafranchise shot in front of the net and jammed it into a gaping net.

Max Reinhart picked up three assists for Abbotsford (39-25-7), extending his point streak to seven games. Blair Jones had a goal and two assists in his first game back from injury. Corban Knight scored his fourth goal in his last two games, while Derek Smith added a tally in his 300th AHL game.

Joni Ortio stopped 23 shots in Abbotsford’s victory.

Adam Clendening, Ross Garret, and Stephen Johns scored for Rockford (32-28-9). Rookie Ryan Hartman notched his first two professional points with two assists.

Jason LaBarbera stopped 13 shots for the IceHogs in a relief effort.

Reinhart backhanded a feed on the power play to Abbotsford’s Knight who beat Rockford’s Kent Simpson glove side from the slot at 4:33 of the first.

Abbotsford defender Derek Smith, playing in his 300th career game, received a pass from midway through the first from Baertschi, who blasted it through several bodies for his sixth goal of the season.

Just 0:33 seconds later, Reinhart passed it to Jones at the left circle who toe dragged it to the crease and jammed it through Simpson’s five-hole to give the Heat a 3-0 edge.

After allowing three goals on the first four shots, Simpson was pulled in favour of LaBarbera.

Ross got the IceHogs on the board at 16:33 of the second, receiving a pass from Hartman near the goal-line and throwing it on net and under Ortio’s arm.

With 2:26 remaining in the period, Klas Dahlbeck picked up a rebound at the point and fired it towards an open net, but Ortio dove across the crease in desperation to keep the score 3-1.

Clendening cut the score to 4-2 at 6:40 of the third, receiving a pass from Phillip Danault at the right circle and firing a slap shot on Ortio, who flubbed a glove save.

Johns, playing in just his second career AHL game, found himself alone behind the net and wrapped it around to squeak it past a sprawling Ortio at 10:06 of the third.

Brett Olson added an empty-net goal with 0:31 seconds remaining in the game.