IceCaps win 20th road game of the season

Published on March 6, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
St. John's IceCaps News Release


Arturs Kulda had a goal and an assist - both shorthanded - to lead the St. John's IceCaps to a 5-2 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Tuesday night.

In the team's first ever visit to Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, St. John's scored on its first three shots and held on for their third win on a seven-game road trip.

Newcomer Raymond Sawada - acquired from the Texas Stars for Shawn Weller and Michael Forney on March 2 - and rookie Carl Klingberg also each scored once and added an assist in the victory.

St. John's got on the scoreboard first while killing a penalty. John Albert one-timed a great pass from Garth Murray on a two-on-one while shorthanded to give the club a 1-0 lead. The goal was Albert's sixth of the season.

It's not just shorthanded that the IceCaps have been playing well. The club entered the game having gone six-for-11 on the power play in its last two games. St. John's continued that trend at 12:38 with a Klingberg goal with the man advantage. Defenceman Paul Postma fired a shot from the point that was tipped by Klingberg for his 15th tally of the season.

Then, Jason DeSantis fired home his 10th goal of the year to give the IceCaps a 3-0 lead, snapping a wrist shot from the high slot. DeSantis's goal tied him for third amongst defencemen in goal scoring.

DeSantis's goal also meant the end of the night for Penguins netminder Scott Munroe. After allowing goals on each of the three shots he faced, Munroe was removed for Patrick Killeen.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton got one back late as Simon Despres scored with just 32 seconds remaining in the period, and despite being outshot 10-4 in the opening frame, St. John's got out of the period ahead by two goals.

The second period saw just one goal scored, and that came off the stick of Penguins forward Brian Gibbons at 18:18.

The IceCaps pulled away in the third period with two more tallies.

Kulda scored the IceCaps second shorthanded goal of the night at 2:47. Skating down the right wing, Kulda carried the puck over the blueline and at the top of the faceoff circle, fired a hard wrist shot over the block of Killeen.

Then, Sawada scored his first as an IceCap with a solid effort. Sawada's seventh goal of the year came after he fired a hard wrist shot from the slot and followed up after the save to poke home the rebound.

St. John's finished the road trip 3-3-1 and returns home to start a six-game homestand against the Hershey Bears Friday.

Catch all the action with play-by-play broadcaster Brian Rogers at www.stjohnsicecaps.com and on 930AM This Is Newfoundland Labrador. Tune in to the pregame show beginning a half hour before puck drop.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 6, 2012


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