Cloutier shuts out Sea Wolves
Published on November 30, 2002 under ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
Biloxi, MS â Frederic Cloutier made 25 saves for his eighth career shutout, and Shawn McNeil and Kenny Corupe scored 58 seconds apart in the second period, as the Louisiana IceGators beat the Mississippi Sea Wolves 3-0 at Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The win moved the IceGators' unbeaten in regulation streak to seven games (6-0-1), and also gives the IceGators, 5-1-0 this season against Mississippi, a three-point Southwest Division lead over the Sea Wolves.
Greg Gardner was magnificent in net for Mississippi, making 40 saves, but the IceGators had too much firepower. The Sea Wolves lost both games of the home-and-home series with Louisiana, having dropped a 4-3 decision at the Cajundome on Friday.
Bruce Richardson also scored and Cloutier (10-3-3), who tied an ECHL record last season with seven shutouts, earned his first since last March 28, a 4-0 win in Baton Rouge. The second-year netminder made four saves in the first period, 10 in the second and 11 in the third. Cloutier helped turn aside all eight Mississippi power plays on the night, as the Sea Wolves dropped to 2-for-38 with the man advantage against Louisiana this season.
Gardner matched Cloutier save for save for the first 30 minutes, but he yielded McNeil's goal on Louisiana's 23rd shot of the night at the 11:49 mark of the second to open the scoring.
The IceGators had nearly three full minutes of 5-on-3 time prior to McNeil's score, and just six seconds after Cody Bowtell came out of the box to make it a man advantage, McNeil notched his team-leading 15th goal of the season. Kevin Mitchell, along the left boards, fed McNeil at the top of the right circle. McNeil ripped a one-timer that just eluded Gardner glove side. Louisiana finished the game 1-for-8 on the power play.
Just 58 seconds later, Corupe made it 2-0 with a goal at an impossible angle. Corupe took a pass from Branislav Kvetan and streaked up ice along the right boards. Corupe, approaching the end line, banked a shot off Gardner's pads into the net for his seventh goal of the season.
Mississippi's Jeff Hutchins nearly solved Cloutier with 4:35 left in the stanza, but his wraparound attempt was stoned by Cloutier, who used his mask to turn away the shot.
The IceGators also killed off a big 5-on-3 late in the period, with 43 seconds of one advantage carrying over to the third period.
Just after the 5-on-4 expired early in the third, Bowtell streaked into the IceGators zone all alone, but Cloutier gloved the shot and hung on. Cloutier also stopped Hutchins from close range with 4:40 gone in the third.
Cloutier made a stretching blocker save of John Evangelista shorthanded 11:30 into the third period.
Richardson finished off a 3-on-2 with Daniel Goneau and Tony Tuzzolino with 27 seconds remaining to round out the scoring after Mississippi turned it over in its own zone.
The first 30-plus minutes of the game belonged to both goaltenders.
Evangelista had Mississippi's best chance of the first period, hitting the post from the right point at the 6:20 mark.
Gardner made a big save at the 8:49 mark, as McNeil walked in along the left boards and ripped a shot that Gardner gloved.
Goneau had a 2-on-1 chance with 14:32 gone by in the stanza, but Gardner again gloved his close-range shot after a pass from Richardson.
Gardner made two more good saves just outside of 30 seconds left in the period, stopping McNeil on the power play.
Mississippi didn't record a shot for the first six minutes of the second period, but its first one was a rifle off the stick of Stu Pietersma, whose shot was turned away by Cloutier from between the circles. Just 23 seconds later, Cloutier made an acrobatic move to fall backwards and land on a rolling puck off the stick of Travis Lisabeth just before it crossed the goal line.
Gator Bites:
McNeil has scored Louisiana's first goal in eight games this season, and eight of his goals have given his team the lead. He has also scored the game's first goal in four contests.
McNeil has a five-game point streak, with eight points (3g, 5a) in that span.
The IceGators are 5-0-0 when Kvetan picks up an assist.
Louisiana is 12-0-1 when leading after two periods.
Tonight was just the third time the IceGators have won when scoring three goals or less.
The IceGators are 7-1-2 when scoring first.
Cloutier has eight of the IceGators' 23 shutouts in franchise history.
Goneau extended his assist streak to seven games, with 14 in the span.
Hutchins and Semir Ben-Amor fought with 1:03 left in the game, their second fight in as many nights.
Richardson and Tuzzolino each have six-game point streaks.
The teams meet again next Sunday in Biloxi at 5:05 p.m.
ECHL Stories from November 30, 2002
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- IceGators Shutout Sea Wolves, 3-0 - Mississippi Sea Wolves
- Cloutier shuts out Sea Wolves - Louisiana IceGators
- Blades Sweep Pride With 3-2 Shootout Win - Florida Everblades
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