Two goals from all-star blueliner Clay Wilson paced the Abbotsford Heat to a 4-1 road win over the Chicago Wolves, the Vancouver Canucks' affiliate.
Wilson's goal at 3:17 of the third period snapped a 1-1 tie and stood up as the game-winner, and he added an empty-net goal in the final minute to seal the victory.
The two-goal outing boosted Wilson's season total to 11, which leaves him tied for second-most among AHL defencemen.
After a goalless first period that was punctuated by two fights, Heat rookie forward Dustin Sylvester opened the scoring at 1:45 of the second, as he converted a Carter Bancks pass from behind the Chicago net.
Later in the frame, Chicago's Antoine Roussel leveled the score on the power play.
But that was the only goal Heat netminder Leland Irving would surrender – he finished with 27 saves.
After Wilson notched the go-ahead tally on a seeing-eye point shot, Adam Estoclet gave the Heat some insurance with a goal at 11:10 of the third.
The Heat (29-21-3-1, 62 points) moved up to seventh in the Western Conference with the win, just two points in arrears of the fourth-place Wolves (30-20-1-3, 64 points).
Abbotsford wraps up a grueling three-games-in-three-days stretch on Sunday, as they visit the Peoria Rivermen.
With the Heat's Akim Aliu applying pressure, Wolves forward Tim Miller dumps the puck in. (Ross Dettman / Chicago Wolves photo)