Express Soar Past Wings 4-2
March 30, 2012 - 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, built up a 4-0 lead by the end of the second period and held on to take down the Kalamazoo Wings 4-2 at the Sears Centre Arena on Friday night.
The Express were the first team to light the lamps when RW Mike Embach followed up an Aaron Marvin shot attempt that Wings G Riley Gill was trying to corral and freeze. Embach collapsed down and poked the puck past Gill to give Chicago a 1-0 lead at 9:30. The goal was Embach's 12th of the season. D Darcy Campbell also assisted on the play. The Express committed 5 penalties in the first period but an active penalty kill was able to maintain Kalamazoo's league leading power play.
The train didn't stop rolling in the second period as the Express got right back to scoring just 3:22 into the second period when F Anthony Maiani was awarded a penalty shot that he was able to snap right under the glove of Gill. Chicago added a tally on the power play at 16:50 when RW Chaz Johnson fired home a one-timer across the body of Gill to make the score 3-0. The goal was Johnson's 19th of the season. The Express weren't done. With just over 30 seconds to go in the period, Danick Paquette left the penalty box and received a perfect pass on the tape from Johnson as Paquette skated hard towards Gill, deked the netminder to the ground, and roofed a shot to finish out the period with a 4-0 lead. The Express were also able to even out the shots on goal with both teams ending the second period with 21 shots a piece.
Kalamazoo got off to a quick start in the third, as F Darryl Bootland blasted a shot off the post and into the net while on a power play just 1:42 into the final frame. F Nick Sirota brought the Wings back to within two goals 2:04 later, bouncing a shot off the crossbar and over the goal line, making the score 4-2. Chicago was able to clamp down defensively as the period wore on, shutting down the Wings for the remainder of the frame to win by the 4-2 score. G Rob Madore earned first star honors in the game, as he turned aside 36 of the 38 shots he faced.
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