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Chicago Battles Back for 4-3 Shootout Victory

November 4, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Chicago Express News Release


Hoffman Estates, IL - The Chicago Express, proud member of the ECHL and proud affiliate of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, scored three unanswered goals to come all the way back after trailing 3-0 to the Cincinnati Cyclones in front of 2,350 people at the Sears Centre Arena.

Cincinnati may have arrived late to the arena but their offense was right on time as they jumped on top of Chicago early scoring their first goal at 2:45 when Cyclones F Joel Champagne slapped at a deflected puck in front of a crowded net and bounced it right over the glove of Express G Paul Dainton. The Cyclones added a power play goal at 16:26 when F Anthony Luciani skated across Dainton and fired in a backhanded shot over the goalie's blocker for his second on the season. Chicago had a hard time staying out of the penalty box in the opening frame as they committed 4 penalties leaving them shorthanded for much of the period.

With a 2-0 deficit to overcome, the second period started off much like the first with Express F Pierre Luc-Faubert picking up a tripping penalty at 3:40 leaving Chicago shorthanded. Cincinnati jumped on the opportunity with an aggressive rush that paid off at 5:03 when F Johnathan Hazen and Luciani teamed up for a successful one-timer marking Luciani's second goal of the night. The Express found some momentum halfway through the second on a power play at 13:09 when the puck was forced up in front of the net by Chicago D Darcy Campbell and F Aaron Marvin swiped the puck out of the air for his third score on the season and his team's first mark of the game. The Express added another goal off of a 2-on-1 breakaway at 18:51 when Faubert used a head fake to new Express D Steven Delisle drawing Cyclones G Tyler Plante across the net. Faubert quickly capitalized firing a slapshot over the shoulder of Plante to bring the score to 3-2 with Cincinnati leading.

Both teams settled down in the third period and it seemed as though both goalies were going to blank their opponents in the frame until the Express stole the puck in their attacking zone off of a sloppy Cincinnati pass and F Blair Riley threaded the needle to F Mike Embach as he fired in a slap shot to knot it up at 3-3 at 15:14, sending the game into overtime.

Overtime started off with a bang as Express F Yannick Tifu had two quick breakaway opportunities within the first two minutes but Plante was able to deflect both shots away to keep the Cyclones in the game. Cincinnati had a breakaway opportunity themselves in the last 30 seconds of the overtime period but Dainton put an air-tight seal on the net and knocked away the shot to send the game into a shootout. The shootout went into sudden death as both teams were even 1-1 through their first five shooters. Chicago's human spark plug Bobby Robins buried his attempt five-hole, winning the game and sending the crowd home happy.

Three stars: 1. B. Robins (CHI), 2. A. Luciani (CIN), 3. P. Faubert (CHI)

Power plays: CHI: 1/5, CIN: 2/6

Notes:

F Aaron Marvin scored his third goal in the last four games... F Tyler Donati played his first game for Chicago... D Steven Delisle also made his Express debut tonight... Chicago went past regulation for the first time in club history.

The Express are back at home on Friday, November 11, at 7:30 pm when the Cincinnati Cyclones come back to the Sears Centre.



ECHL Stories from November 4, 2011


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