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Everblades Strike Late, Win in Shooutout

January 15, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Trenton Devils News Release


Trenton, NJ - The Everblades downed the Devils Friday night at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton in a heartbreaking loss. Florida forward Kevin Baker netted one goal and two assists and added another tally in the shootout, leading his team to a 4-3 victory.

Sloppy defensive play by Trenton put the Devils in a hole at 3:29 of the first. After Baker stripped Slavomir Tomko of the puck along the near boards, Florida winger Ernie Hartlieb fired a wrister on goal from the right circle that eluded the blocker of Gerald Coleman and found its way into the net to give the Everblades a 1-0 lead.

The Devils struck back with just over six minutes remaining in the opening period when Jeff Prough threw a seemingly harmless shot on Barry Brust. The Florida netminder turned aside Prough's initial bid, but directed the rebound directly into the body of Dan Eves, who knocked the puck in to knot the game at 1-1.

The second period opened with an early flurry that saw three goals in the first three minutes. The Everblades got the frenzy started, taking a 2-1 lead 1:16 into the second frame when Matt Duffy's scoring attempt ended up behind Coleman. Duffy's far blast on net from the right wing board somehow bounced its way past Coleman, who reached behind him with his stick in a desperate attempt to keep the puck from crossing the line, but could only watch as it fluttered into the back of the cage.

However, it would only take the Devils 42 seconds to notch the equalizer. Prough took a pass from Eves and lit the lamp from the doorstep with a pretty backhander to the top left corner of the net for his team-leading 13th goal of the season.

Trenton's good fortune continued less than a minute later when Kyle Kucharski ripped a low one-timer from the hash marks past Brust to give Trenton its first lead of the game, 3-2. Kucharski seemed to be the only man on the ice to sense the intent of Andy Thomas, who streaked down the left wing boards and made a precise, no-look pass to the slot to set up the score.

Brust, who played 11 games for the NHL's Los Angeles Kings in 05-06, showed flashes of brilliance while killing off several Trenton power plays in the second period, and also denied Eves of a possible second goal with a beautiful diving poke check on a breakaway attempt. Coleman answered back with a number of impressive saves of his own, including a point-black save on a Ross Carlson slap shot from in close.

The teams battled through a scoreless third until Baker's one-timer from the top of the far circle fluttered past Coleman's glove to tie the game with 5:55 left to play. The tally was Baker's sixth of the season and third point of the night.

The Everblades nearly won the game on a late power play when the puck deflected on net and trickled towards the goal line with seven seconds left, but Coleman was able to squeeze his pads together and force overtime.

After the Devils killed off the remainder of Florida's power play early in OT, Ryan Ginand's high sticking penalty at 2:28 of the extra session gave the Everblades another full two minutes on the man-advantage.

Coleman stood tall, gloving down an A.J. Thelen rocket from the point and covering the rebound before Mike Bayrack's slashing penalty resulted in three-on-three action.

Coleman made an impressive save on Hartlieb in the final minute, sending the Devils back down the ice for a shortened power play as Ginand's penalty expired. Brust turned aside a Tomko point shot with his left pad in the final seconds to send the game to a shootout.

The Devils ended up on the wrong side of the shootout, losing the game on a controversial no-goal call in round five. Despite Tim Kunes' shootout tally, goals by Baker and Ross Carlson gave Florida a 2-1 advantage heading into the final round.

On Trenton's final shot, Ginand opened Brust's legs with a deke and appeared to nudge the puck over the line, pushing Brust into the goal and knocking the net loose in the process. However, the officials signaled no-goal, much to the dismay of the home crowd and head coach Rick Kowalsky.

The Devils (13-17-4-5) will have a chance for redemption when they take on the Everblades (19-15-2-4) tomorrow night in Trenton. The puck drops at 7:00 pm.

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