Gratchev's Late Heroics Lift Express to 3-2 Win
February 29, 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, scored three times in the final 8:26 of the third period to come back from a 2-0 deficit and defeat the Toledo Walleye 3-2 at the Sears Centre Arena on Wednesday night.
Toledo jumped on the board first at 17:24 on the power play when C Harrison Reed fed a pass to F Todd Griffith who skated across the slot uncontested and lifted a shot just over the blocker of G Peter Mannino. Mannino turned away several point blank opportunities in the first and blocked 12 of 13 shots in the opening frame. The Walleye held a 13-10 shot advantage through the first period.
Toledo padded their lead early in the second period when Griffith slid the puck to C David Gilbert on a 2-on-1 rush; Gilbert fired a puck off of the left pipe that skated off the roof of the net before it slid out of the crease. The period wasn't without fireworks as it featured two long fights at center ice. The first fight was between Express LW Devin Didiomete and Walleye D Joey Ryan off of a face off. Less than 2 minutes later, Express LW Ryley Grantham squared off against RW Mike Thomas for his first fight as a member of the Chicago Express. The Walleye extended their shots on goal advantage as well, firing 23 shots to Chicago's 18.
The outlook continued to look bleak for the Express past the halfway point of the third period, before LW Maxime Gratchev bolted into the zone and received a pass from Grantham, hammering a shot past G Alec Richards and cutting the Toledo lead in half. Chicago tied the game at 2-2 when their captain, D Nathan Lutz, slipped free along the left post and tapped home a pass from D Jonathan Zion with 2:05 remaining in the frame. Gratchev then pulled the Express into the lead with just 41.3 seconds remaining, as F Pierre-Luc Faubert knocked the puck of the stick of Richards from behind the net and Gratchev deposited the puck into the empty net for the 3-2 win.
Power plays: CHI: 0/4; TOL: 1/4
Three stars: 1. M. Gratchev (CHI); 2. P. Mannino (CHI); 3. N. Lutz (CHI)
Notes:
F Ryley Grantham dropped the gloves for the first time since joining the Chicago Express. He also picked up an assist in the game, and now has points in five of the six games he has played for Chicago... The Express snapped a six game winless streak against Toledo, as Chicago last earned a victory over the Walleye in 7-4 win at the Huntington Center on November 9... LW Maxime Gratchev scored his second final-minute goal in the last three games. He also forced an eventual shootout against Florida with a goal at 19:07 on Saturday.
Chicago hosts the Toledo Walleye at the Sears Centre Arena on Wednesday, and Saturday, and face the Wheeling Nailers at home on Sunday.
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