Game Day Storylines- at Rapid City
December 31, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release
Steel Reel
The Steelheads got a sterling bounce-back effort from Branden Komm at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center on Friday night, the goaltender stopping 47 shots to earn his second career shutout and his first as a Steelhead in a 3-0 victory over the Rush. The Steelheads and Rush wrap up 2016 with the rubber-match of their three-game series with a New Year's Eve showdown in Rapid City. It's Idaho's first New Year's Eve game since the 2011-12 season, and the Steelheads are 2-4-1 in the ECHL era on the calendar's final day.
The Steelheads fired 22 shots on Friday, but that's all they would need to beat Rapid City's Adam Morrison three times. Miro Karjalainen scored his first ECHL goal to open the scoring, followed shortly after by Travis Ewanyk's 13th of the year on the power play. Branden Troock scored in the second period to make it 3-0, and Branden Komm would make 13 saves in the final period to secure Idaho's first shutout win of the season.
A Nice Return...
Branden Troock makes a difference when he's in the lineup. After missing nine games with an upper-body injury, Troock returned to the lineup for the first time since December 3rd and immediately contributed. His goal in the second period was his third of the season in just four games with Idaho. The only game in which Troock has not scored with Idaho this year was the game he was injured, when he left in the second period. In 17 career games with Idaho during the last three seasons, Troock has six goals and ten points.
Kommin' Atcha...
Branden Komm made 47 saves in the shutout win, matching his career-high in saves for a single game. Komm has held opponents to two goals or fewer in nine of his last ten appearances, winning four of his past five starts.
Rolling...
Travis Ewanyk's power play tally in the first period kept several trends moving in the right direction for Idaho. With that goal and an assist, Ewanyk now has five goals and 11 points in his last seven games. With an assist on the goal, Kyle Jean has seven points in his last seven games. Joe Basaraba also picked up a helper to give him five points during a three-game points streak.
Idaho Leaders Rush Leaders
Goals: Ewanyk (13) Goals: MacDonald (14)
Assists: Dahl (21) Assists: Walters (21)
Points: Dahl (30) Points: Walters (33)
Plus/Minus: Bell/Faust (+8) Plus/Minus: Walters (+2)
Power Play Goals: Merchant/Ewanyk (5) Power Play Goals: MacDonald/Walters (3)
Goals-Against Average: Komm (2.54) Goals-Against Average: Morrison (2.43)
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ECHL Stories from December 31, 2016
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- Game Day Storylines- at Rapid City - Idaho Steelheads
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