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Fish knock off Blades, 4-3

February 24, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Baton Rouge Kingfish News Release


The Kingfish used a shorthanded goal and a power play goal and a 36 save performance from Niklas Sundberg to down the Arkansas RiverBlades in a shootout, 4-3.

Arkansas took a 1-0 lead on the power play as Buddy Smith added another assist to his league leading assist mark as he set up Eric Long at the right point. Long's slapshot beat Niklas Sundberg over the shoulder at the 6:37 mark of the first period.

Arkansas had numerous chances in the first period to push their lead to two goals but the stellar net minding of Sundberg kept the RiverBlades up by just a goal for much of the first period.

After going 0-7 yesterday on the power play, the Kingfish capitalized on the man advantage with just one second left in the power play. Mike Kiesman was able to keep his concentration as he was dumped in front of the Arkansas net but was able to take Jason Norrie's centering pass and push it past Scott Fankhouser. Chris Bell also added an assist on the goal at the 17:52 mark of the period.

The Kingfish took a 2-1 lead on a weird goal at the 6:58 mark of the second period. Fankhouser got caught out of his net and couldn't clear or cover the puck as Mathieu threw the loose puck to the slot. An Arkansas defenseman tried to glove the puck down but instead threw the puck into his own net as Mathieu got credit for the goal.

Two minutes later on the penalty kill, Sam Paquet fired a one timer past Fankhouser off a pass from Mathieu to give the Kingfish a 3-1 lead.

Arkansas battled back as Terry Marchant slipped the puck past Sundberg at the 14:26 mark of the middle stanza. Marchant used an outlet pass from Smith to set up the goal.

Matt Pagnutti's slap shot from the point at the 18:38 mark of the period tied the game at three. Long and Smith hooked up to find Pagnutti at the point for the power play goal.

In the third period, the Kingfish and the RiverBlades exchange scoring chances in the third period and in overtime as Sundberg continued to make stellar saves to keep the game tied at three.

Joe Guenther scored the deciding goal in the shootout in the sixth round. Mike Martiniello and Mike Cirillo exchanged shootout goals in the first five rounds.
Niklas Sundberg made 36 saves in the win while improving to 14-14-2 on the season.

The Kingfish are back in action on Wednesday as they host the Arkansas RiverBlades. Catch all the action on Baton Rouge's Best R & B, 104.5 WZRB beginning with the Kingfish pre-game show beginning at 6:50 p.m.



ECHL Stories from February 24, 2003


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