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Red-hot Horak leads Heat past Monsters

Roman Horak's red-hot start to the season continued as the Abbotsford Heat rallied for a 5-3 road win over the Lake Erie Monsters on Friday.

Roman Horak's red-hot start to the season continued as the Abbotsford Heat rallied for a 5-3 road win over the Lake Erie Monsters on Friday.

The Heat fell behind 2-0, as Lake Erie's Paul Carey and Geoff Walker tallied before the first period was nine minutes old.

But with Horak leading the way, Abbotsford came charging back. The forward from the Czech Republic scored twice, including the game-winner in the third period, to extend his season-opening goal-scoring streak to five games. He's got six goals on the season, tops in the AHL.

Carter Bancks got the comeback rolling with the Heat's first shorthanded goal of the campaign, and his second goal in as many games. T.J. Brodie and Brett Olson, with his first career AHL goal, also scored for Abbotsford, while Mike Sgarbossa rounded out the scoring for the Monsters.

Lake Erie out-shot Abbotsford 33-23, but Danny Taylor, making his fourth start in five games for the Heat, registered 30 saves.

Abbotsford native David Van der Gulik, a former member of the Heat, picked up two assists and posted a +2 rating for the Monsters.

The Heat killed off six Lake Erie power-play opportunities, and are the only team in the AHL which has yet to allow a power-play goal this season. They've snuffed all 19 opponents' chances.

The Heat (4-0-1), who have yet to lose in regulation this season, hold down first place in the Western Conference and are tied for first overall in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch. They renew hostilities with the Monsters on Saturday, and wrap up the three-games-in-three-nights road swing against the Hamilton Bulldogs on Sunday.